CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Vice President Kamala Harris announced that North Carolina will receive $12 million from the federal government to hire 332 mental health counselors in schools statewide as part of the White House's efforts to support children amid gun violence.
Harris made the announcement during a visit to Charlotte's Eastway Middle School Thursday to promote the Biden administration's plan to reduce gun violence. Harris was joined by Miguel Cardona, the U.S. education secretary, at Eastway Middle School for the event. The federal government will invest $285 million nationally for counselors, according to Harris.
Charlotte is still struggling with rising teen gun violence. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police announced Thursday that shootings involving juvenile suspects were up 33% in 2023. The vice president's visit comes just days after a Myers Park High School student was killed in a shooting in northwest Charlotte.
"Gun violence is the No. 1 killer of the children of America," Harris claimed, saying Congress needs to pass "common sense" gun policies.
The money comes from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which the White House says has dedicated almost $2 billion for schools to increase mental health resources for students. However, a WCNC Charlotte investigation found that $40 million from that fund has been sitting unspent in the Carolinas because of bureaucracy and communication problems between state agencies, as well as districts not applying for the money.
Charlotte City Councilman Tariq Bokhari is leading a task force to address violence in the Queen City. He said helping children involved in crime will take a bipartisan, community-wide effort.
"It doesn't end when they hit the system," Bokhari said. "We need to follow them through the system and use the data to figure out, one, where the system's failing, but two, what's the root cause of what's happening?"
Harris has visited North Carolina 10 times during her time as vice president. She was last in the state in September when she visited Greensboro. Harris was last in Charlotte in June to mark the anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
The vice president was in Myrtle Beach on Saturday as part of the campaign trail.
WCNC Charlotte is committed to reporting on the many issues facing the communities we serve. We tell the stories of people working to solve persistent social problems. We examine how problems can be solved or addressed to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference. WCNC Charlotte is seeking solutions for you. Send your tips or questions to newstips@wcnc.com.