Community leaders who lost sons to gun violence team up to hold hearings on using economic opportunities to fight violence

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Economic opportunities to combat violence across the city of Chicago will be the focus of upcoming hearings.

Pastor Anthony Williams and longtime community leader James Hinton are teaming up after both lost sons to gun violence.

Hinton has operated a long time industrial arts training program on the South Side to give young men career opportunities.

He and Williams are working with lawmakers to hold hearings to keep the focus on using economic growth as a way to stop violence.

"We talk about them every weekend, but we are not doing anything to help these kids," said James Hinton, Hinton Heating and Cooling. "It's really bad when I see what these children are up against and it's not going to get any better."

"The system of violence is something that we are both fighting and Mr. Hinton and I have partnered in terms of discussing the issue of violence from another perspective," said Pastor Anthony Williams of First Congregational Church of Berwyn.

Those hearings are expected to begin the first week in August.