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EUCLID, Ohio — 14-year-old Josiah Watts was attending a peace rally when he was shot in the back and nearly paralyzed three years ago.

On Saturday, the Euclid teen was presented with an award for speaking out against gun violence.

“Out of nowhere I saw a gun fire two or three shots and I just ran the other way and got hit,” said Watts.

According to Euclid police, Phillip Banks, 19, of Euclid was killed during the same rally.

Two men were arrested and charged in connection to the case.

Watts was given the award during the Little Giants boxing tournament. Proceeds from the event will be used towards preventing gun violence.

“They just want to be a part of something a lot of times. They come from broken homes where the structure isn’t there,” said Calvin Love of the Little Giants, which is a non-profit. “The father isn’t there, so they want to be a part of something big. That’s what we offer, a sense of family.”

Euclid Police and the Euclid school district sponsored the event.

To learn more about the non-profit, CLICK HERE.

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