Local man challenges us to make our communities safer

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - A local man and his wife were just sitting outside when he heard gunshots and his life was forever changed. He jumped into action to help a shooting victim but he told Bill Anderson he was also moved to do more. He wants to challenge all of us to work to make our communities safer... for goodness sake

"My wife was sitting here and I was sitting here and the gun shots went off," he told FOX 29.

It's sad but it seems like nearly every day we hear about another act of senseless violence.

"He just collapsed, just fell down the stairs. I told my wife I said, 'Babe he's been shot. I have to go over there and check on him.' I told him I'm gonna be there for you the cops are on the way the ambulance is on the way just hold on. And then, we're sitting there and he said, 'Am I gonna die that hurt me?'"

Chase Lamar Smith is known as a happy guy, comedian and a community activist, he started a non-profit because he wants to improve communities but this past weekend it got personal.

"He began asking for his mom and said, 'If I die please tell my mom I love her.' And when he said that I felt like he understood the severity of the fact that he was shot."

There's very little information about the shooting victim except that he did survive being shot multiple times. Police don't know what caused the 15-year-old to be shot and no arrests have been made. However, the impact on Chase was significant and his Facebook video challenging society has gone viral.

"There's so much negativity, so much violence, our kids aren't safe in these streets man and at what point do we take accountability for our environment?"

Chase already mentors young people and is raising funds for his No Dreams Deferred Foundation. He knows that there are a lot of causes to violence in communities but after having a teen nearly die in his arms he's asking all of us to take a look in the mirror.

As FOX 29 walked the scene of the shooting, Chase shared that he has been in touch with mother of the victim who they believe was simply mistaken for someone else.

Nearly died, no good reason but out of this Chase hopes we're all motivated.

"I pray that the people watching just get involved," he said.

Get involved with his non-profit or yours, his block or yours-- just do something to try and prevent the next senseless act of violence.