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Group Hopes To Curb Gun Violence After Deadly Year In Nashville

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The last day of 2017 was one of the deadliest. First, Brentrice Wilson, 16, was shot and killed after a 12-year-old she was with was handling a gun when it went off. The two were a part of a group of girls who police said were burglarizing unlocked cars when they found a loaded weapon. That 12-year-old is now charged with criminal homicide. 

On I-65 just a few hours later, David Marsh, 20, was killed when someone opened fire on his vehicle while driving on the interstate.

These names are now added to a long list of homicide victims in 2017. 

On New Years Day Partners in the Struggle gathered at Greenwood Cemetery to unite against youth gun violence in a "circle of togetherness". 

Far too often, Earl Jordan with Partners in the Struggle, holds vigils like these after a horrific loss, like when 12-year-old Yhohana Arteaga was murdered in her home back in September.

Jordan was also there to comfort family members of Ruxin Wang. He was killed in early December while bringing in his trashcan off the street. 

"The whole violence in Nashville is incredibly disturbing at this point. So, my dad was I guess, the police department said yesterday that already 99 people have died in Nashville this year. My dad is one of them. He's not just a number, he's our father," Yun Wang said.  

In October 16-year-old Deberianah Begley lost her life to gun violence by simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This was the deadliest year in Nashville since 1997 when there were 112 homicides in the city. December was one of the worst months for Nashville with 14 homicides in one month alone.