GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County leaders hosted a town hall on mental health on Monday evening at the Justice and Administration Center, in Lawrenceville.
Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin attended the event where the panel couldn’t help but remember what happened at Apalachee High School last week.
The event was planned before the school shooting in Barrow County. During a panel session, these leaders discussed the Winder school shooting and other recent events.
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Back in March 2022, a passenger with a gun took over a Gwinnett County Greyhound bus. Investigators said the 23-year-old man was struggling with mental health.
Both they say have ties to mental health and the importance of advocating for those who might be struggling with it.
County Commissioner Jasper Watkins hosted the town hall to talk about mental health and the resources available to the community.
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Christian Giddens sat in on the panel as an advocate for mental health. Giddens receives support from one of the county resources, a program tied to the sheriff’s office mental health task force.
“They come out and check on me at least one or twice every two weeks and it says a lot,” said Giddens. “And since they been helping me out I’ve seen dramatic improvements in my grades at college. And I’ve seen dramatic in my mood swings.”
Monday’s Town Hall is part of a series of mental and health and community-driven events with the next one to take place closer to the end of the year.
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