US News
Asheville pastor urges city to adopt youth gang-prevention program amid recent violence
Dr. Ronald Gates claims Asheville officials ignored a decade-long proposal for early intervention after retaliatory shootings left two dead and seven injured.
The short version
- Dr. Ronald Gates, an Asheville pastor and county chaplain, has criticized city leaders for failing to implement his proposed youth gang-prevention program.
- The criticism follows recent retaliatory shootings in Asheville that resulted in two deaths and seven injuries.
- Asheville officials have characterized the violent incidents as disputes between groups of friends rather than gang activity.
- State crime data shows Asheville's violent crime in 2024 was 42% higher than in 2016, driven primarily by an increase in aggravated assaults.
Key facts
- Dr. Ronald Gates, senior pastor of Greater Works Church of God in Christ and a Buncombe County Sheriff's Office chaplain, stated that Asheville leaders ignored his proposals for a youth gang-prevention program first introduced in 2016.[Fox News]
- Recent retaliatory shootings in Asheville left two people dead and seven others wounded.[Fox News]
- Asheville city officials have described the recent violence as retaliation between groups of friends rather than gang-related.[Fox News]
- Gates's proposed Gang Free initiative is modeled on a Los Angeles program targeting fourth- through sixth-grade students to provide mentorship, educational support, and legal alternatives to gang recruitment.[Fox News]
- North Carolina state data indicates Asheville reported 42% more violent crimes in 2024 than in 2016, with aggravated assaults rising from 335 to 558 over that period.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- Asheville city officials have not publicly responded to requests for comment regarding Gates's claims or whether the city formally evaluated his proposal.[Fox News]