CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — One community is reflecting on how gun violence is bringing unwanted negative attention to their neighborhood. A Rantoul man has been sentenced for a crime that ended near Booker T. Washington STEM Academy in Champaign. And that wasn’t the first time the school has experienced violence around it.

Anthony Wilkins got 11 years for a police chase around the school. It led to a soft lockdown last year. Now people are looking for change.

“They need to step up and try to find another solution,” Angela Cooper-King said.

King is a firm believer in stopping the violence in Champaign. She said the traditional way of involving kids in activities can only go so far.

“What are you stopping? Because these kids out here, to me, is seeking help but they’re seeking help with the wrong things,” Angela Cooper-King said.

King lives in the area near Booker T. Washington STEM Academy where they’ve experienced a few lock downs due to gun violence nearby. The most recent incident happened in 2024. Wilkins and three others were being chased by the police. King said they hear about these crimes on the daily.

“I think they need to go more towards the counseling and try to get the kids to open up to feel why they’re doing what they doing,” King said.

She said it’s unfortunate more of the younger generations are being influenced in a negative way.

“It’s always like a revenge thing, but they need to learn about what they doing before they seek revenge,” King said.

King believes if they can help the youth and change the dynamic around the area, the community will be better off.

“So they can grow up and sometime be somebody or want to be somebody or be themselves. But learn how to know how to do it instead of using guns,” King said.

Wilkins sentenced on Tuesday for unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon — a Class Two felony.