DOUGLAS CONNOR, OF CURE VIOLENCE EAST, SPEAKS AT THE CEA MEETING IN HOMEWOOD, JULY 22. (PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOR Jr.)
Meeting at CEA in Homewood brings out hundreds
Sometimes, Pittsburgh area teens carry a gun on them through Downtown if they are from one municipality or neighborhood, en route through Downtown to another municipality or neighborhood. Sometimes that teen believes that they could be open to violence against them due to local neighborhood or town beefs, and the gun is for protection.
That was one of the issues brought up by a few concerned adult residents at the July 22 Youth Takeover Meeting, sponsored by the Community Empowerment Association in Homewood. The New Pittsburgh Courier had an all-access pass of sorts to listen in on the many comments made by adults and a few teens in the breakout sessions during the two-hour meeting in Homewood.
The issue over “Teen Takeovers,” the now-infamous craze happening in cities throughout the country, occurs from time to time in Pittsburgh, where hundreds of youth populate a certain area, like East Liberty or Market Square, and before long, there is havoc, with police officers having to diffuse the situation and disperse the crowd. The question of “How to stop teen takeovers” is such a complicated situation that there were no concrete solutions by the end of the meeting, attended by nearly 200 people, primarily adults. It’s complicated because teens have the ability via their phones and social media to congregate at a certain location before police or adults even know what hit them, many adults at the meeting said. What also complicates matters is that many teens say they are not at the gatherings to cause violence, but they can’t control the small number of teens who do decide to cause problems. The teens merely say they want to just hang out, according to a few teens who were in the audience.
But as previously mentioned, sometimes police find guns in teens’ possession. On Juneteenth, Friday, June 19, 2026, hundreds of teens had to be dispersed from Market Square, and Pittsburgh Police told the Courier that three guns were recovered. It wasn’t clear if the guns recovered were from minors or adults still in their teens (18, 19).
In two other incidents this summer, teens were involved in deadly shootings in Downtown. On June 13, a 17-year-old was shot and killed, police allege, by a 15-year-old. That shooting occurred near Katz Plaza, Downtown. And on May 12, a 19-year-old was shot and killed near Market Square, police allege, by a 16-year-old. Those two incidences were not considered “teen takeovers,” but it’s still unfortunate violence amongst teens that everyone agrees must stop.
“I can tell you this, as far as with a firearm, it’s a zero tolerance,” said Pittsburgh Police Zone 5 Lt. Lee Myers, in response to a concerned citizen’s question about police officers’ intent when they deal with teens, at the July 22 meeting. But Lt. Myers did say that if a teen is arrested, say, for stealing hygiene products, the officers are instructed to dive deeper into the reason why the teen is stealing those products.
“Us as officers, we have to be not only somebody who has to hold them accountable, but now, we have to break through all the barriers…can we get this kid to open up and say, ‘hey, my home life might not be’ good; ‘this is why I’m doing this.'”
“I want you to hear it from me; the last thing we want to do is have to arrest kids,” voiced Pittsburgh Police Chief Jason Lando at the meeting. “We want to help find positive things for kids to do in the community, help give them resources. The last thing I ever want to see is a 14, 15, 16-year-old kid, when they grow up and mature, they can’t get a job or they can’t get into a school because of a criminal record for something they did when they were younger.”
Chief Lando added: “The last thing we want to do is lock kids up. So we need to work together as a community to find other resources so that when these kids get together, it’s positivity, there’s no violence. I would love for our officers to be a part of some of these positive gatherings and not have to worry about chasing kids around and potentially have to arrest them.”
Ask people like meeting organizer Rashad Byrdsong, and the fact that nearly 200 people came out to discuss how to curb the teen takeover issue is a good start. While there were not a lot of teens in attendance, to the disappointment of some of the adults, adults like Ingrid Eubanks stood up and said that adults need to be on the front lines at the takeovers to show the kids support in doing the right thing.
“Just like when ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) was coming around (Pittsburgh area), and we were showing a force field…we have to gather on a united front and be a force field of protection (at the teen takeovers) because when they (the teens) see us…we have to wind it down. (At the same time), we have to show obedience, perseverance and…not be ignorant and fall to what they’re demonstrating by the takeovers,” she said.
So far, the only adults who have been seen confronting teens at the takeovers have been part of an anti-violence organization, such as REACH or MAD DADS. There hasn’t been a united front of say, 100 adults, at the takeover location to help stop it or show the teens that they are supported in doing positive things.
“In their generation, ‘takeover’ just means, ‘a bunch of us are going to a place to go hang out,’ and unfortunately, they’re not able to control everybody who sees something and is able to come,” said Douglas Connor, part of Cure Violence East, at the meeting. “…I have a 19-year-old, and a 15-year-old…it’s just unfortunate that when these things happen, sometimes there’s probably going to be a few kids that do want to do something out of the ordinary.”
Connor, at the meeting, said it’s important for adults to listen to the kids, and vice versa, so that both groups can truly understand each other and the concerns teens may be having.
During the meeting, it was revealed by Councilman Khari Mosley that ownership at the Homewood bar called “The O1” (7101 Frankstown Avenue) is looking to open a pool hall in Larimer to teach youth the art of pool, in an effort to keep them off the streets and have positive things to do. Food would also be available for the teens. The actual location was not confirmed as of July 28 by the Courier.
There are also efforts to have some Westinghouse Academy students head to the nearby University of Pittsburgh Homewood Community Engagement Center for after-school programming; another effort to give teens positive things to do as the school year approaches. It’s not confirmed as to the exact date the initiative will occur at the Pitt Homewood CEC.
Also, Chief Lando said he is starting an advisory board that will include local teens, “so when we come together and have these conversations, we’re doing it with the youth voice.”
Not everyone was impressed by what they heard—or didn’t hear— at the meeting. India Hamm, who brought her 15-year-old daughter, Aniya, to the meeting, said there wasn’t enough discussion at the meeting about “accountability”… as in holding parents accountable for what their teens are doing.
“You need to start being held accountable—children, parents, adults, everyone. I think if that started happening, then people would realize, ‘it’s not a joke.’ I make sure my kids are in the house safe. We have rules, we have a routine, I don’t play.”
Hamm challenged other parents. “My question is, what is your kid doing out a 12 a.m.? What is your kid doing out at 1 a.m.?”
Hamm said her daughter knows to be in the house by 8:30 p.m., “and she better not come in at 8:31.”
