I know many of our residents were shocked by the events at the 7-11 on Cartwright and Lucas this weekend. To see dedicated employees treated in this manner was difficult to watch and even more difficult to understand. I was able to visit with the store manager and understand that the staff were not seriously injured and have returned to work to provide the same excellent service they have for several years. I encourage our residents to stop by this store and provide encouragement to the employees that work there to show that we support them.
I have also spoken with Chief Gill about the incident. Our investigators are working diligently to identify all of the people involved in this incident and we are close to making arrests. As soon as an announcement can be made, the Police Department will release information.
The increasing amount of youth violence in our country is very troubling. We continue to see youth in our community engage in reckless behavior that reflect poorly on them and the entire City. While I do not want to condemn all youth due to this one incident, I feel that it should serve as a call to action for our entire community to better engage with our youth. From the school district, to churches, to businesses, to our residents, we should focus our attention on encouraging better choices for our kids. Parents need to engage with their kids and promote respect for themselves and for others.
In the next few days, we will make an announcement about a summer program designed to bring our kids together to let them know that we support them and want them to succeed.
I pray for our community every day. I pray for our Police Officers, our Fire Fighters and every person who calls Mesquite their home. Please join me in these prayers for our community, but specifically for our youth. They need our attention and they need our support.