Nigeria, April 29 -- I was watching TV with my dad and mom in our South Side Providence apartment, one late afternoon when we heard a sudden knock on the door. Looking outside, we saw the flashing lights of at least three police cars. Yellow tape cordoned off the grassy area next to our building and officers carrying flashlights searched the ground for a fired bullet.

Before that day, I had only heard about gang-related shootings in Rhode Island's Southside Providence - stories passed around in school, on the news, and from people in the neighborhood. Although I never knew the specifics or statistics about the crime rate, I remember hearing gunshots late at night, never knowing exactly where they were coming from, and seeing memorials fo...