Demetrius Pettiford , now a part of a mentoring program developed by doctors at Children's Hospital in Washington, began what could have been a lifetime of violence when he was only 11 by trafficking guns and drugs. Well, my parents were either at work or doing something too busy, so I was out making me some money. It came to a head when two friends were shot. One was killed. Pettiford said now he plans on finishing his education.
Experts warn that despite the latest numbers, the homicide rate for young people is still high.
It remains 70 percent higher than a decade ago. CNN Medical Correspondent Rhonda Rowland and Reuters contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines .