I've battled gangs for decades. Now I'm fighting a threat that's even harder

SO BASICALLY IT IS LIKE WHEN YOU BUY A TOASTER TO MAKE BREAKFAST BUT IT ACCIDENTALLY BURNS DOWN THE WHOLE KITCHEN, EXCEPT THIS IS ABOUT SMARTPHONES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO AND A PASTOR WHO HAS SPENT DECADES BATTLING GANGS AND SETTING UP TRUCES AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS SAYS PHONES ARE AN EVEN HARDER THREAT, BECAUSE WHILE SOME KIDS USE THEM TO BUILD LEGITIMATE MUSIC CAREERS OUT OF POVERTY, DRILL RAP LIVESTREAMS ORIGINATING AROUND O-BLOCK HAVE TURNED INTO DEADLY WEAPONS WHERE CREWS DROP LOCATION TAGS IN THE WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD AS DARE CHALLENGES TO COME AND GET THEM, AND KIDS AS YOUNG AS TEN ARE WATCHING WAITING FOR GUNFIRE, WHICH MEANS LOCAL PASTORS END UP HOSTING FUNERALS AND DISPATCHING VIOLENCE IMPACT TEAMS TO HOMES AND HOSPITALS TO STOP RETALIATION WHILE POLICE COMB COMMENTS AS CONFESSIONS.

OK IMAGINE WAKING UP TO THIS: LOCAL PASTORS ARE HAVING TO HOST FUNERALS AND RUSH VIOLENCE IMPACT TEAMS TO HOSPITALS AND FAMILIES' HOMES JUST TO STOP RETALIATORY SHOOTINGS, AND THE THING IS IT ALL STARTED BECAUSE KIDS ARE DROPPING LOCATION TAGS ON SMARTPHONE LIVESTREAMS AS A DEADLY DARE TO RIVAL CREWS! YOU TELL ME IT IS JUST SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT A SOUTH SIDE CHICAGO PASTOR WHO LITERALLY SPENT DECADES BROKERING GANG TRUCES AND RUNNING AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS SAYS PHONES ARE EVEN HARDER TO FIGHT THAN STREET GANGS, WHICH IS WILD BECAUSE WHILE SOME KIDS USE THEM TO BUILD REAL MUSIC CAREERS AND ESCAPE POVERTY, O-BLOCK DRILL RAP LIVESTREAMS HAVE TURNED INTO LITERAL AMBUSH CHALLENGES WHERE TEN AND TWELVE-YEAR-OLDS WATCH WAITING FOR GUNFIRE, AND NOW POLICE AND PROSECUTORS ARE COMBING THROUGH THE LIVESTREAMS AND TREATING COMMENTS AS CONFESSIONS.

A Chicago pastor warns that drill rap livestreams and dropped location tags on smartphones are driving deadly gang challenges and retaliatory shootings among local youth.

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