After Fatal Student Stabbing, Support For Youth Recommended

ALEXANDRIA, VA — After the fatal stabbing of an Alexandria student led the city to seek increased supports for youth, focus groups of youth helped inform recommendations to improve youth programs.

The effort stemmed from the May 2022 stabbing death of Luis Mejia Hernandez, 18, a senior who was about to graduate from Alexandria City High School. Mejia Hernandez was stabbed during an off-campus fight at the Bradlee Shopping Center, where police increased their presence due to concerns of violence.

In response to the stabbing, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson and Councilwoman Alyia Gaskins introduced a memo directing city staff to identify challenges and develop strategies to support Alexandria youth.

"We must engage a diverse range of stakeholders to listen to the experiences of our young people, learn what is at the root of youth trauma and violence, and act," the memo said.

Focus groups with 125 youth on youth programs helped inform a new report on the city's Youth Safety and Resilience Initiative. Key recommendations from a new youth report were: making youth programs flexible and inclusive, creating strong support systems in schools and co-creating solutions with youth, using different ways to reach young people with resources and programs, building youth-adult partnerships with ongoing training with adults, and critically listening and engaging with youth ideas.

Youth Speak Up about Safety

As part of the focus group process, youth shared what makes them feel safe or unsafe

On the topic of safety, the most common theme on what makes youth feel unsafe is hearing about recent violence at or near school.

"It’s scary to think about the boy who was stabbed, and I think it’s possible for it to happen again at school," read one comment from a youth participant.

"When I feel unsafe, it comes from the school environment, especially what’s been going on with King Street Campus," another youth commented. "I always have an extra security barrier when I go to school. My parents do, too. Now more than ever, I feel unsafe."

Some students shared concerns about Lunch and Learn being taken away at school, as it was a time to build relationships with teachers and counselors. Others mentioned locked bathrooms and police presence as other elements that can make schools feel unsafe.

Some mentioned schools can feel safe with security guards, metal detectors and "when students get along and don’t get into problems/conflicts with one another."

For some youth, the Ulvade, Texas school mass shooting was at the top of their minds, and that they needed strong support systems in school, more supportive adults to talk to, effective school safety policies, accurate and timely updates, bullying prevention education and automatically locking school doors.

On the other hand, most youth in the focus groups said they can feel safe having friends and family present, having close relationships at school, knowing their neighbors and having inclusive and diverse spaces. Students named places they feel safe, such as home, the library and other quiet places, sports locations, crowded public spaces, recreation centers and more. Some noted mixed perceptions of safety around police, but some see police building community relationships as a positive for safety.

See the full report here.

What's Next for Youth Initiatives

The city's next step for its youth safety and resilience initiatives will come with a youth and caring adult summit on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 4:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church at 2932 King St. led by the recently-launched Youth Ambassador Program. After hearing more feedback from youth, the city will determine next steps for policies, and recommendations would then go to the Alexandria City Council and the School Board.