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Local pastor works to help families heal from homicide

Pastor James Giles uses his platform to address trauma from shooting violence

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Police are still looking for who is responsible for the shooting that killed 12-year-old Bandar Elwaseem. 

As the search for answers continues, his family is left to grieve their loss. One of the people helping them through the process is Pastor James Giles, 68. Giles is the founder of the Buffalo Peacemakers and the Buffalo Snug Violence Prevention Program. He uses both to address needs in the community and prevent conflicts from becoming deadly. 

"Sometimes I fear that it's happened so often that we've become desensitized to it."

Giles has been working to diffuse conflicts for years. He tells 2 On Your Side that he's seen the way shootings in Buffalo contribute to the cycle of violence he's trying to prevent. 

"We're dealing with these issues, we're trying to assess them as they happen."

Giles himself has worked one-on-one with the families of victims of gun violence. In the case of Bandar Elwaseed, Giles has been counseling his family. Giles has also been working with the families of other shooting victims, such as the 17-year-old who died after a shooting at a North Buffalo Community Center. 

A recent arrest means the family can begin to seek closure. Giles says waiting for justice is one of the main reasons he sees people turn to violence as a solution for their grief. 

"Because of their own pain and their own angst right, and somebody did not care for them and they have a very careless attitude about human life."

Giles hopes that by expanding the Peacemakers to other areas of the city, he will see a steeper decline in instances of violence. 

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