INDIANAPOLIS — Hanging from a 16-year-old's chain are pictures of two friends he's lost to gun violence.
So far this year, the teen said five of his friends have been shot and killed.
"It's hard, especially after that lady got killed and my friend Edwin getting killed before that. It's hard. It takes a toll," said the teen, whose identity has been hidden due to safety concerns.
The teen said he has not only been a victim of gun violence, but he has also been the man behind the gun.
"I have a self-inflicted wound in my leg. I have been locked up on two different counts of gun charges, so I know what it's like to be on both sides of the fence of being able to die and being able to be locked up," explained the teen.
That's why he joined New B.O.Y., a mentoring and youth development program.
Kareem Hines, the founder of the program, held what he called a conversation Wednesday night. But instead of the adults talking, it was their turn to sit back and listen as kids and teenagers voiced how gun violence is affecting them.
"We want the adults to see that kids are in pain and that they need you. They need a connection other than social media, other than the internet because if they don't get that connection and they don't get the love from us, they will get it from the streets," Hines said.
One 15-year-old in the circle Wednesday said he's been getting locked up since he was 12 years old. He joined New B.O.Y. about seven months ago. He hopes to be an example or a listening ear to those who may be one bad decision away from ending up where he was less than a year ago.
"I just want to give people something else to look forward to, (so) they don't have to go to the streets or step out into that because when I was out there, it wasn't no fun and never is to see nobody else out there either," the teen said.