Orange County community task force chosen to curb gun violence 

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - The county has chosen 37 people as part of a new community task force aimed at preventing and curbing gun violence in Orange County. 

The group was formed after a string of shootings in the county, including the killing of Daquane Felix Jr., a three-year-old boy shot and killed in a drive-by.

“Time is of the essence there’s a certain urgency to trying to leverage our relationships in our community to get something done quickly,” said Mayor Jerry Demmings.

The group includes people from a variety of backgrounds including Jim Coffin with the Interfaith Council, chosen as one of the co-chairs.

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“Let’s make sure that we all pull together and that involves the average citizen who is out there; it's not just some power structure that does it,” he said. 

Community activist Rod Love said it’s about being on the ground in communities hit by violence and talking to those affected.

“There’s grandma and there’s pookie and there’s these young people that we’re gonna be engaging,” he said. 

As law enforcement -- including the FBI - work to get suspects off the streets, the group has been given 120 days to brainstorm ideas to help.

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“Let’s get after it and produce something that can be institutionalized in the long term but also address short term needs,” said Mayor Demmings.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the task force including meeting times, locations and rooster. 

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