SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Brexialee Torres-Ortiz was only 11 years old. Her death continues to impact a community of people who knew her and those who did not.

“In pain, there has to be healing,” said Lateef Johnson-Kinsey, the Director of the Mayor’s Office to Reduce Gun Violence.

For months he’s been working with community groups and Harvard fellows on the Community Violence Intervention Plan. It’s a 10-month pilot program.

“It starts off with conflict resolution,” Johnson-Kinsey said. “As we’ve seen what happened two weeks ago, there was some type of conflict, there was something. Our programming is to get with individuals before that happens to be proactive, not reactive.”

Johnson-Kinsey said the program also includes mentoring, case management and cognitive behavior therapy. The plan is to work with gang members or those affiliated with it. They will work with police, community violence intervention organizations and what will be key, credible messengers.

“Those who have been out on the corner, on the block selling drugs or whatever it may be. Those who are credible to the community, who have made change. They’re our number one asset. They’re the one that can speak to the individual and say ‘Yo, I’ve been down that road, this is something better,'” Kinsey-Johnson explained.

Another component is addressing blight.

“We want to make sure that lighting is there, that neighborhoods are clean so it’s no longer the hood, it’s a neighborhood,” Kinsey said.

The pilot program will start with about 50 participants, they will get a stipend. They hope to begin by March or April.