Community advocates, faith leaders and a retired Dallas Police Department supervisor gathered Thursday to launch the Walk Away Initiative, a new violence prevention effort designed to reduce conflicts before they become deadly. Two caskets, one large and one small, sat at the front of the room as a visual reminder of the stakes, underscoring organizers’ message about preventing violence before it leads to another funeral. The initiative focuses on prevention through community intervention and comes as organizers point to the need for more resources to address violence, including road rage and confrontations involving young people. The effort is launching in Dallas after teenager Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murdering Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet last year. Crime and Courts 23 hours ago Karmelo Anthony's appeal heads to court with requests for new trial, judge's recusal Collin County Jul 15 How a handshake deal changed the course of Karmelo Anthony's trial Collin County Jun 19 First look at evidence shown in Karmelo Anthony murder case Crime and Courts Jun 12 Prosecutor in Karmelo Anthony murder trial reflects on trial, sentence Founder Dr. Bruce C. Carter said the initiative is built around conversations informed by research and community involvement. “This new initiative is about prevention based on community intervention, and there were various groups in this room today for what felt like a really eye-opening conversation based on some real data,” Carter said. Carter said the fatal confrontation involving Anthony and Metcalf illustrates why teaching people to de-escalate situations is so important. “I believe at that point if one or the other or both would have walked away and one young man would be alive another one incarcerated,” Carter said. Through the National Opportunity League, the Walk Away Initiative will begin offering training courses and other resources starting Aug. 15. Carter said the program is intended for youth, teens, young adults, families, schools, educators, community organizations and others. “It’s based on research during my dissertation period. And nationally, the behavior is the same, and it’s only getting worse,” Carter said. The National Opportunity League has also partnered with mental health organizations. Organizers said participants in the Walk Away Initiative will have access to mental health resources that will be paid for by the league. “There are rewards, there’s gratification for you explaining how you started to change. There was a situation that was brewing, and you went this way versus going that way. And we just use it as a data point,” Carter said. For attendees, the effort is about protecting their families and preventing future tragedies. “I fear if we don’t do something, they’re going to be lost,” one mother said. Organizers said Thursday’s gathering was the first in a series of community meetings. The next meeting will bring together city leaders in South Dallas. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication. ...read more read less