Columbia man works to spread message to end youth violence as movement grows throughout city
Nia Hinson
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
What started out as a simple effort inspired by his son has now grown into an outpouring of support for one Columbia man.
Daniel Edwards moved to Columbia when he was 12 years old and said he’s witnessed firsthand the lasting effects gun violence — especially involving children — can have on a family. Tuesday marked his cousin’s birthday, who was killed back in 2018 at 19-years-old.
Last week, he took to Clark Lane and Providence Road in the city to protest recent youth violence. Edwards stood holding a sign that read, “Listen lil brother, stop killing each other,” a message he says was inspired by his children.
“I just start thinking about how I don’t want to bury my son over a fight, something as simple as a fight,” Edwards said.
Edwards says he viewed himself as a mentor to his younger cousin, who was “on the path to changing his life” before his death. Seven years later, Edwards uses his death, along with others’ he has lost to violence throughout his life, as inspiration to try and be a voice to encourage children to choose a different path.
“I just want the kids to think about you know, would your dead friend or your dead relative want to see you dead, or that person in prison want to see you in prison?” Edwards said. “You know, there’s so much more to life than than these streets or making a bad choice.”
Edwards movement hasn’t gone unnoticed, inspiring others to use their voices as well.
Barbi Jones said she saw the work Daniel Edwards was doing through social media, immediately grabbed her shoes and headed out the door to join the protest. It’s now something she says she hopes to continue doing to make a difference in the community.
“I have grandchildren, I have nephews and you know, I’m concerned about my family as well as others that live here in Columbia and just wanting to help in any kind of way, wanting to show them that there’s better choices to handle their anger,” Jones said.
Jones said although standing on a street protesting may seem like a small act to some, she believes it sends a message.
“It has power for awareness…like we got a lot of honks from different cars and thumbs up and I think they understand what’s going on and it’s going to effect all of us,” Jones said.
Edwards said when he initially began his protests, he didn’t have any intentions of gaining attention.
“It’s not about me, it’s about these kids. It’s about these parents who’s had to bury their kids. It’s about these families that’s suffering that’s hurting,” Edwards said. “It is nice being recognized, you know? But I don’t want that to be the focus. I want the focus to be ‘hey let’s stop killing each other’.”
According to data from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there have been 132 violent crimes reported within the Columbia Police Department’s jurisdiction since the start of 2025. Violent crimes within that data includes murder, robbery, aggravate assault and rape.
The largest age group of those arrested are youth ages 10-17 with 70 arrests, with the next-highest being 25-34 year olds with 64 arrests. The largest age groups of victims were between 18 and 24, according to data.
An 18-year-old was shot and killed in a Valley Creek neighborhood in late May. A 16-year-old was taken into custody and charged on suspicion of second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
Edwards said that shooting only made his decision to take a stand that much easier. He now hopes his message will inspire teenagers to think before acting on their emotions.
He says that starts with adults taking the lead.
“We need to start being the example, being the light in this dark world,” Edwards said. “And I think being an example can do way more than anything we say, you know? I just really think being the example you know, and showing these kids that there’s something better to do.”