Only days before the latest shooting in Bermuda, John Battersbee started the process of organising a new approach to dealing with the spiral of violence that has taken a number of young lives in recent years.

Early in the New Year, he intends to hold an initial meeting at St. Andrew's Church for the fathers and mothers – but particularly the fathers – of young men who they feel are involved in the violence or who are concerned about the violence.

Mr. Battersbee, who was an acquaintance of 2006 gun victim Jason Lightbourne, hopes that a message can filter through to today's young men, from their fathers, about how they were able to grow up without resorting to guns or group violence.

There remain a number of unsolved gun murders, including that of Shaundae Jones outside Club Malabar, Dockyard in 2003, Jason Lightbourne in Ord Road, Paget in 2006 and Shaki Crockwell on the Railway Trail in Devonshire earlier this year.

Recent football match trouble involving Paget when they have travelled to play in and around Hamilton are further examples of an undercurrent of violence that Mr. Battersbee believes has similar root causes and is something parents, and fathers especially, may hold the key to preventing.

Speaking before the Christmas shooting, Mr. Battersbee said: "I want to get the fathers and mothers who feel their youngsters are involved in violence, or are concerned about the violence, and get us to talk amongst ourselves – at first talk – about how we used to be, and then try to get that back to our sons.

"We want to get to a place where the fathers make a difference with their sons. There is only a group of guys causing the trouble – but we have to remember they are still someone's child."

By getting fathers together in the first instance, Mr. Battersbee said: "If we can show that we can get along and then say to the children 'why don't you?' Perhaps we can get a programme started.

"Most of all I want to let young people know that it is not necessary for them to fight because they happen to come from the Town, or the Country or St. George's or Somerset.

Remembering the death of Mr. Jones at Dockyard, and of Mr. Lightbourne in Ord Road last year, he added: "I don't like to see these young guys fighting one another for no reason.

"Someone has to start the ball rolling. We can't rely on the Police or the Government, we have to start to make a commitment. This is about the Island."

Mr. Battersbee intends to hold the first meeting for fathers and parents at St. Andrew's Church in Hamilton either in the last week of January or the first week in February.