An Ord Road man is calling for older men to band together and get involved with Bermuda's troubled youth after gunfire broke out in his neighbourhood.

John Battersbee, a volunteer with the Mirrors programme, believes that by talking to the young people involved in gang activity, much of the violence that has made headlines recently could be avoided.

"It's not every one of these guys who want to do this," said Mr. Battersbee. "There are a lot of guys who don't want to be involved in these activities. Some guys just want to hang out with their boys."

According to Mr. Battersbee, it is only a small percentage of the people in gangs who are involved in violence, but he fears that if nothing is done, that percentage will grow as members get deeper embedded in gang culture.

"The few guys doing this, they're lunatics. They don't care about other people's lives. A lot of them aren't up to this sort of retaliation, but it could filter down. I'm close to a lot of young guys. I'm concerned."

Mr. Battersbee has called for the formation of such a group in the past, but he said that many dismissed the idea of talking to the youths because they don't believe the boys would listen.

He used a recent interview with gang members in The Royal Gazette as proof that a difference could be made.

"They want people to come and talk to them. They're tired of this stuff," he said. "There are some there who would stay and listen.

"If you had ten people, we might get two who would listen, but you can't just sit by. You've got to do something."

Last Tuesday, a gunman on a bike opened fire while driving on Tribe Road 5, near Ord Road, sending one man to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound.

"Children play on that street," said Mr. Battersbee. "A lot of these guys have children. They don't want anything to happen to their nephews or their children."

In the coming weeks, Mr. Battersbee is hoping to find a group of older men to form a group to meet with the various gangs throughout the Island and talk to them to find out what they want.

"I'm tired of meetings. I want to go out there and get started, not sit down for eight or nine months trying to organise. I need the father, the uncle, the grandfather. I want them to come out."

He also called for families to remain aware of the actions of their children.

"Instead of saying 'My child wouldn't do this,' try and reach out to them and try to find out what's going on.

"If people are saying something's wrong, don't just dismiss them. Try to find out why. People have got to stop closing their eyes."