The Atlanta Police Department have reported a significant decrease in homicides and shootings compared to the same time last year as of July 2025. But despite the overall decline, the city has experienced periodic surges in violence, particularly in specific “hotbed” areas (a neighborhood or specific block identified as a persistent source of criminal activity). And now, rapper Quavo is addressing the invisible scars left by the shootings.
Suggested Reading
Quavo, co-founder of hip-hop group Migos and Athens native, is no stranger to the devastating effects of gun violence. His nephew and fellow group member Takeoff was fatally shot on November 1, 2022. Takeoff, born Kirshnik Khari Ball, was an innocent bystander who was caught in the crossfire of an argument that had broken out over a dice game. He was 28. Quavo created the Rocket Foundation in 2022 after Takeoff’s death, turning tragedy into a renewed purpose.
Fast forward to this weekend, between Thursday (July 31) and Monday (August 4), Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital reportedly treated nearly 50 gunshot victims. Last week, a mass shooting on Edgewood Avenue left one person dead and 10 others wounded in that incident alone. Two recent shooting victims were directly connected to Quavo’s Rocket Foundation; Deshawn Johnson, 18, who attended Rocket Camp last year, was shot and killed in a mass shooting in the Empire Park neighborhood. Officials said they recovered more than 100 shell casings from the scene. Youth football coach Aaron Hines, affectionately known as “Coach Ball,” was also shot and killed in late-July. Hines was a leader in the Rocket Foundation’s Offender Alumni program, a nonprofit organization “that creates a network of justice-impacted individuals who support each other in reducing crime” with programs “aimed at reducing recidivism and restoring communities,” according to their website. He leaves behind a daughter and a community of youth who looked up to him.
In response to the spike in gun violence in the city, Quavo launched an emergency trauma Therapy Support Fund. The Grammy-nominated rapper and his foundation are calling on the community to donate to the fund, which will go directly towards therapy support for those impacted by the tragic shootings. Fundraising will also be done in partnership with Hope Hustlers and the Offender Alumni Association, and all donations will go directly toward providing mental health resources for the youth affected by gun violence.
While Black folks experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health conditions at a similar rate to the general population, they are far less likely to attend therapy– which was once considered taboo in the Black community. Data from the Office of Minority Health shows that about 25% of Black adults seek mental health treatment compared to 40% of white adults. Why? For starters, the stigma around mental health were often tied to a cultural expectation of being “strong.” That stigma kept most folks from getting the help they needed as they didn’t want to be perceived as “weak.”
Additionally, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), only about 4% of psychologists identify as Black, so the severe shortage of Black mental health professionals in America made finding a therapist who can relate to one’s cultural experiences challenging. Not to mention systemic mistrust (Tuskegee experiment) and bias rooted in a history of medical abuse and socioeconomic factors such as a lack of health insurance and fewer services in their neighborhoods continue to disproportionate affect the Black community.
Quavo’s Therapy Fund isn’t just built in memory of the dead, but a courageous and deeply personal lifeline offered to the living. To donate, visit the official Rocket Foundation donation page.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.