Officers Join Kids Touched By Violence For Day Of Healing At Kennywood

PITTTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The day started with a picnic outside Zone Five in Highland Park. The group that gathered there included children who have lost loved ones to violence.

Adrienne Young, who lost a son to violence, came up with the idea when she heard something troubling from a seven-year-old in a therapy session.

"We asked him, what did he want to be when he grew up? And he said 'I want to grow up and kill the man who killed my father.' And that was so heartbreaking to us," Young said.

So it was off to Kennywood with police officers. Commander Jason Lando said he and his fellow officers believed it was a great idea.

"This is a great opportunity for us to kind of interact with the kids in a completely non threatening way. Especially with everything going on in the country right now, this could not come at a better time," Lando said.

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Police officers and kids from neighborhoods that have witnessed violence spent a day of fun at the park.

Among the 200 guests were survivors of the Wilkinsburg assault that left six dead including an unborn child.

The family of Calvin Doswell, a man who was shot and killed, became visibly upset when Lamont Powell, the man who was the target of the Wilkinsburg attack, showed up.

Powell has been accused of shooting Doswell, but not charged.

Despite the uncomfortable moment, it was a unique way for police and the community to get a better understanding of each other:

These are a group of people that are already angered, that are shattered. That don't understand why their relative is gone. And most of them have animosity toward the police, because they believe police aren't trying to find the person who killed their loved ones," Young said.

Kennywood donated hundreds of tickets for the day's events.