This is another installment in Birmingham Times/AL.com/CBS42 joint series “Beyond the Violence: what can be done to address Birmingham’s rising homicide rate.” Sign up for the newsletter here.

Just two hours in a room with anti-gun violence advocates made a big impression members of the “Dee” Pogue Foundation, a youth mentorship program for boys. The boys said they left the Anniston event inspired to make good decisions.

Actor and former athlete Omari Hardwick joined violence prevention advocates Angela Harris, Cameron Patterson, Demarco Curry and Lin Slater in a panel discussion to convince the youth in attendance to put down the guns.

“It was very inspiring. It taught us how to not pick up a gun, and not to go out and do what we see online, or what you do in a game, or try to become it or do it. I gotta say that it was very inspiring,” Byron Pyles, 14, a member of the “Dee” Pogue Foundation said.

The event, Ballers Against Bullets, was targeted for children and young adults in eastern Alabama. Gun violence, currently the leading cause of death among children in Alabama, was a concern stated by community members surveyed recently by the Agency for Substance Abuse Prevention.

More than 100 children of all ages gathered, wearing white ‘Ballers Against Bullets’ t-shirts. They listened attentively as anti-gun violence advocates told their stories of experiencing gun violence.

During the panel discussion, Hardick opened up about how gun violence has impacted his family.

“I have an older brother, who was murdered, shot 10 times, murdered in Las Vegas…I have a Father, praise God, who survived five bullets,” Hardwick said. “Gun violence is out of control.”

When asked who knew about Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old softball player who was abducted and murdered in 2019, a majority of the youth raised their hands.

Angela Harris, Blanchard’s mother, told them she became an advocate so no one else would experience a similar tragedy.

“You need to be listening to everything that’s being said up here because it can save your life. You can save your friends’ lives. This is what’s happening in our world and you can change it. You can change it,” Blanchard said.

Members of the “Dee” Pogue Foundation said the event meant a lot to them.

“I listened to her and almost cried when she was talking about how she had a daughter that she lost,” Pyles said.

Ceimauri Battle, 12, said his uncle had been shot. Though his uncle has since recovered, Battle said he is still affected by the incident.

“I was in a situation and I thank God that I wasn’t shot or hurt in this situation. I was just trying to play basketball with some adults and someone randomly just shot in the air and I had to run for my life to make sure I was safe…I’ve seen young dudes carrying weapons and thanked God I wasn’t shot,” Pyles said.

Pyles said that after attending the event, he wants to encourage other youth to make good decisions and put down the guns.