In 2025, the city of Lexington saw its lowest number of homicides in almost a decade, with incidents of gun violence dropping 60% since 2021.

That downward trend is present in youth and young adult gun violence.

Two leaders of one Lexington, the city's initiative to reduce youth gun violence, testified to state lawmakers in Frankfort about what's working and areas they see room for improvement.

Here's more from Kentucky Edition's Clayton Dalton in tonight's legislative update.

Divine Koroma is the director of One Lexington, and the organization's mission is to make Lexington safer by reducing gun violence among youth and young adults.

But Koroma told lawmakers it's not just about focusing on firearms.

You'll also notice during this presentation, we don't talk to too much about firearms.

We focus a little bit more on some of the root causes that lead young people to pick up a firearm, and that is the way that they solve issues.

A big part of one Lexington's work happens in schools connecting with vulnerable youth for prevention and intervention efforts.

But the group does face some barriers with who's allowed on school property.

The background checks to be able to be a volunteer at a school or even a community center.

Has enabled and disenfranchized some of those credible messengers that are needed for this specific work.

And here what I'm saying, I have some experience in the streets, but in order to reach our most vulnerable young person, there's even more lived experiences beyond what I experienced and endured.

Right?

In order to reach our most vulnerable young people may be those young people who are already in that cycle of gun violence.

In order to reach them, they need somebody who can directly identify with where they've been and what they are doing.

And currently, we have a system to where those individuals with that lived experience that can reach our most vulnerable young people are not allowed into certain spaces because of their background and what I have proposed, and not just for the school system, but also city government, because our community centers operate under the same process, is how can we create a pathway for some individuals who were formerly system evolve with that lived experience to earn their way, to be able to be a volunteer and come into the school to provide these services that can help mitigate violence and that can help our most vulnerable young people.

Koroma acknowledged that violence prevention work isn't just beneficial for youth, but for people with a history of inciting gun violence who have turn their lives around.

When you hear the stories of a lot of these individuals who have been through the system and have rehabilitated and come out something that drives them and keeps them on the straight path is actually the opportunity to prevent other young people from following in their footsteps, from making the same mistakes that they make.

So I think it's good for them.

It's good for the young people, it's good for the community.

And so clearly see, I'm passionate about it.

But, I think that that's something that we can all work together to see happen.

Koroma said that the school system and local government officials in Lexington are open to having a conversation about background checks and the barriers they can present for this work.

He also said state support on this issue would be great for Kentucky Edition.

I'm Clayton Dalton.

Earlier this year, Lexington went 190 days without a homicide, but that streak ended with a mass shooting at the East End gathering in August.