New mural in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood aims to stop gun violence in the area

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh is facing an epidemic of gun violence.

There have been 99 non-deadly shootings through July of this year, according to data Channel 11 obtained from city leaders. That’s a 45% increase from last year.

More young people are also falling victim, as people 19 and younger make up roughly a third of the city’s 35 homicides.

But there are a number of community members, like a local artist, who are trying to stop that violence one mural at a time.

At the center of Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, there is art with a purpose: stopping what has become a nationwide problem. The artist behind the paintbrush is a man who knows what it feels like to lose so many to violence.

“For so many years I kind of suppressed these memories just to get by,” said Kyle Holbrook. “The color for gun violence awareness is this orange that we are using. My thought putting it down here is that everyone will see it.”

Holbrook is on a mission to create Stop the Violence murals in every state.

“I wanted to put it here in Oakland so people understand this is a issue for everybody for all Pittsburghers,” Holbrook said. “We are losing our future.”

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