St. Petersburg Launches ‘Safe Summer’ Block Party and Friday Event Series [Video]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — Local leaders are working to combat summer safety concerns as kids are out of the classroom, especially after several recent shootings here in Tampa Bay involving teenagers.

For Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, keeping our youth safe has become her mission after tragedy changed her family for good.

“I lost my son to gun violence,” said Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, Community Impact & Safety Liason. Gun violence left her with heartache she’ll never repair. “If you have lost someone senselessly, you know. You never got a chance to say goodbye, trust me. You’re going to think about them every day and what you could have done differently or could you have protected them? It’s a lot to go through.”

It’s why she’s pushing parents to look into local programs, like St. Pete’s Safe Summerwhich kicks off Saturday, June 8, with the Safe Summer Block Party from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Campbell Park …