It’s been nearly a month since two teens were shot and killed at a bus stop near Rainier Beach High School, and there have still been no arrests. Now, nonprofits are stepping in to help the students affected by the tragedy.
Hundreds of students head to and from the school every day. Mornings and afternoons, there are people waiting for them.
They aren’t crossing guards; they are volunteers with the nonprofit Community Passageways.
“These kids come to school and see us, they come to lunch and see us, they come out after school and see us,” Dominique Davis, the nonprofit’s founder, said.
Davis said the volunteers are part of a program called Community Passageways, which has been massively expanded since the deadly double shooting in late January.
According to Seattle police, Tyjon Stewart and Traveiah Houfmuse were shot and killed across the street from the high school in a “targeted attack” just after dismissal.
“In the middle of the day, in front of a lot of young people,” Davis said. ”In front of a bunch of children. These are our babies that are suffering. These are our babies that are dying.”
Davis’ volunteers are now set up at the intersection next to the bus stop as well. The program isn’t just about helping students get safely to and from the building; it’s about being trusted adults for teens who might not have anyone else to turn to.
“We build trust, we build relationships, we build connections,” Davis said. ”They are able to share with us. They come to us in times of need.”
“I think it’s helpful,” C.J. Willis, a classmate of the victims, said. ”Having people out here watching the corners, watching the streets, it does a lot.”
Willis, who is a junior at Rainier Beach High School, said it was difficult to come back to school after the shooting.
She said the program helps, but believes the long-term solution is providing young people with more opportunities.
“It’s easier for a kid to get a gun than a job,” she said. ”It shouldn’t be like that.”
Davis said his group’s activities at Rainier Beach High School should be a blueprint for other schools around the region.