Community leader reacts to shooting outside Boys and Girls Club

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Leaders at the Community Boys and Girls Club are speaking out after a shooting happened outside a party at the club over the weekend.

Wilmington Police said Ernest Robinson, 19, was shot at 901 Nixon Street and sent to the hospital around 2:00 Sunday morning.

Ever since Carlos Braxton can remember, the Community Boys and Girls Club has been a place where at-risk kids like him could be kids without any risk.

“That was a safe place where we could go and hang out and not have to worry about fighting, drug activity, shootings, all those kinds of things that really happen in our community all day every day,” Braxton said.

This weekend Braxton, who is now vice chair at the club, said a shooting jeopardized that safe place.

“I was shocked,” Braxton said. “I was disappointed.”

Braxton said the club was hosting a teen jam Saturday night. He said it is something the club has been doing for its teens for years.

“Our community doesn’t really have an outlet for our kids to kind of hang and you know teen jams, play music, hang out and socialize,” Braxton said. “All the other teen jams went off without a hitch. No problem.”

After this jam ended though, Braxton said the kids were either picked up, drove themselves home, or started walking. He said the club’s executive director was still inside when a fight broke out across the street.

“Wayne was in the building, heard the shots, came outside, saw the young man laying in the street, called 911,” Braxton said.

Police said Ernest Robinson of Leland, was hospitalized after police found him lying on the ground in front of the building. He was transported to NHRMC.

Braxton told us after talking to police, they now know Robinson started the fight, because he was beat up in another fight a few weeks ago. Braxton also said Robinson is not a part of the club and was not at the party that night. Braxton said Robinson showed up and picked the fight across the street at DC Virgo.

“It’s just so unfortunate that you know a few knuckle heads can come and spoil it,” Braxton said. “The vast majority of the kids that was at the Community Boys and Girls Club, they’re good kids, having good, clean fun.”

Braxton said they cannot control what happens outside their doors, but that does not change what they are doing inside.

“I just want to reiterate the Community Boys and Girls Club is a safe place for kids in the community,” Braxton said. “You know we’re dealing with at risk kids. We’re dealing with kids that other establishments don’t even want to deal with.”

Police said Robinson has been released from the hospital. So far, no arrests have been made.