Chicago-based Project Unloaded reaches out to teens in effort to reduce gun violence

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Young people are being impacted by gun violence, directly and indirectly. Some young people in the Chicago area are taking action to try to reduce gun violence.

The teens say they are talking to their peers, using social media for good.

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Teens are among those watching the news in Madison, Wisconsin and Chicago.

"We go to school; we see what's happening. It's just really sad and heartbreaking. So, I feel like it's come to a point where we have to say we need to make change happen," youth council member Celia Fuentes said.

Some young people are trying to do just that: reduce gun violence by getting the attention of other teens via social media with Project Unloaded.

"Our engagement is really good when it comes to Snapchat and TikToks and really relating to the youth and their issues," said Jayden Wright, a Project Unloaded youth council member.

"It's really hard to change views of adults on almost any topic," founder Nina Vinik said.

Vinik said, with their youth council and youth content creators leading their anti-gun violence work, they've engaged millions of American teens since they started three years ago.

Their effort is nationwide, but based in Chicago.

"What we try to do at Project Unloaded is reset that narrative, and put young people in the driver's seat. They're the ones who are really suffering the consequences of our deadly gun culture, and we believe they're the ones who have the power to change it," Vinik said.

"We know, when an adult is talking to a young person, not all of the information gets met the right way. So, having a youth talking to a youth and catering to those things, like the things we see on social media, and the lingo, I think it really helps with the message," Wright said.

"We are trying to use social media for good; we need to be the generation that makes change happen," Fuentes said.

Project Unloaded's founder said this work was modeled after the anti-smoking campaigns that shifted Americans' view on smoking.

Young people who want to advocate for change can follow Project Unloaded, and they will be recruiting new youth leaders in the spring.