What kids have to say about crime

Kids talk about crime
This group of fifth and sixth graders at Johnson Elementary School in St. Paul recently shared their experiences with crime in their neighborhood.
MPR Photo/Jeff Horwich

The families in east St. Paul are a wide mix of incomes and backgrounds. Johnson Elementary is a beautifully remodeled old school, with cheery hallways and new playgrounds.

But the principal says there have been four gunshot incidents in recent weeks, including one at a home visible from the school's front door. The violence makes him worried about the very un-childlike thoughts and anxieties kids might bring to the classroom.

MPR's Jeff Horwich got a dozen fifth and sixth graders together to talk about how crime hits home for them.

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