Six years after his 18-year-old son was shot and killed following a fight at the West Chester YMCA, Antaun Hill Sr. works as a case manager for inner-city youth, spending his days doing what he wishes someone had done for the young person who pulled the trigger.

Hill's son, Antaun Hill Jr., had graduated from Fairfield High School just two weeks before the 2020 shooting. He was committed to Independence Community College in Kansas to play football that fall. A Fairfield High School photo caption described him as a dedicated football player and model student.

"I want children to know that there is a better way other than taking each other's lives," Hill told WCPO 9 anchor Arielle Brumfield in an interview published Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026.

Hill now participates in community discussions through WCPO 9's Finding Solutions series, where residents and advocates talk through ways to address violence and expand opportunities for young people. His day job puts him face-to-face with the population he's trying to reach.

He said young people need consistent adults in their lives who let them know they are cared for and valuable. Without that presence, Hill said, the cycle of violence continues unchecked.

Dr. Carolyn Cousins-Bates, founder of the Cincinnati-area nonprofit My Kidz, echoed Hill's call for more adult support. My Kidz, a 501(c)(3) founded in 2013, works with students in Cincinnati Public Schools who are experiencing homelessness or other needs. Cousins-Bates said schools and community centers need more resource coordinators to connect students with services, programs and opportunities.

She pointed to the scope of the problem: violence and anger show up as early as elementary school. But she believes intervention works.

The broader data offers some encouragement. Hamilton County Juvenile Court figures show homicide charges against juveniles dropped 33%, from 21 in all of 2022 to 14 in the first five months of 2026, according to WCPO reporting on a youth safety discussion. Assault charges fell by half over the same comparison, from 199 to 98.

Still, a 2026 citywide survey found fewer than one in three Cincinnati residents said they are satisfied with feeling safe in the city.

For Hill, the numbers are personal. His son would have been 24 this year.

"He'd be 24 this year, and I won't get to see what that could've been," Hill said.

The next community listening event in the Finding Solutions series, "Let's Talk Mason," is scheduled for Sept. 2 from 4 to 6 p.m. at The Common Beer Company, 126 E. Main St., Mason.