Five days after two teenagers were killed outside the Pulse nightclub on Christmas night, community members gathered to talk with young people about violence at St. John's United Church of Christ Church at 4136 North Grand Blvd.

Some reports rank St. Louis City as the country's most dangerous city. A growing coalition of community leaders wanted to bring the youth themselves to the table of discussion and address these statistics.

The moderator, Rev. Vickie Caldwell, posed a question to people under 25: "What do you want from us?"

And to the room of about 200, she asked what do the young people need from their community and elders because it is clear that they have been failed somewhere.

Some from the audience pointed to education. Many young people challenged people to get out, volunteer and become mentors.

"We need our elders to show us how to turn to the Father," said Aaron D. Morris, a former gang member.

Morris said young people should be able to turn to productive role models. Instead, many young people turn to the streets. Unfortunately, Morris had to have a near-death experience before he changed his life and left the streets, he said.

Young people are crying out for mentors and role models, and they don't have to be religion-based, some said.

Deitra Wise from the Chaplain Juvenile Detention Center said that it's not that these young people don't have hearts. They just don't have anyone to walk with them through life.

"You can't give up on your kids," said William Humphrey, young entrepreneur.

Humphrey said he looks up to his mother, but all children are not able to look to their parents for inspiration.

Darren Nesbitt said it didn't matter if it is a mother, friend or the mother of their children; someone has to reach these black men.

"Reach these young black males through the black women in their life," Nesbitt said.

At the 9 p.m. ending time, young people were still lined up to speak.

Along with an open mic for the community, the panelist included Charles Shelton of Better Family Life, Inc., Lisa Marr from the Office of U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, hip-hop artist Yung Ro, James Muhammad of Dynasty Hip Hop Inc., and Pastor Deitra Wise of Liberation Christian Church and Chaplain Juvenile Detention Center.

Rev. Starsky Wilson, a pastor at St. John's, said that the meeting was held the same day 17-year-old Ranisha Cole was eulogized and Orlando Willis, a 16-year-old student, died from the Christmas night shooting at the Pulse.

"Sitting in the community forum to discuss ways to reduce these shootouts, I was reminded of the words of my grandfather who told me growing up: ‘There are only three things you've gotta do in this life; Find Your Place, Get in Your Place and Stay in Your Place,'" Wilson said in a statement to the American.

"Perhaps this simple philosophy could help us by first reducing some of the infighting, operational disunity, organizational distrust and competitive striving between non-profits and religious sects working to turn around our community," he said.

Malik Ahmed, founder and CEO of Better Family Life, Inc., spoke about the Kwanza principle, Nia, which encourages people to look within themselves for goals to benefit the community.

"We have to be honest with ourselves," Ahmed said. "We lack a collective purpose and harmony among each other. We have got to have a deeper purpose."