WE'VE SEEN IT ALL AS KIDS
IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.
PEOPLE SHOT IN FRONT OF
OTHER LITTLE KIDS PLAYING
JUMP ROPE, AND A DRIVEBY
SHOOTER CAN COME BY AND JUST
SHOOT EVERYBODY, KIDS AND
EVERYTHING.
Reporter: TOMMY SCOTT
GREW UP AMONG GANG VIOLENCE,
DRUGS, AND POVERTY IN SOUTH
CENTRAL LOS ANGELES.
HIS FATHER WAS IN AND OUT OF
PRISON THROUGHOUT HIS
CHILDHOOD.
SO TOMMY FOUND O OTHER MEN
TO LOOK UP TO AND JOINED A
GANG.
THE GANG MEMBERS, THEY
HAVE THE JEWELRY, THEY HAVE
THE CARS.
THEY HAVE THE GIRLS -- THEY
HAVE EVERYTHING.
I SAID, THAT LOOKS LIKE A
WAY OUT.
I'M PART OF SOMETHING.
I CAN GET RESPECT AND I CAN
GET LOVE.
IT'S LIKE A LITTLE FAMILY.
Reporter: AS TOMMY GREW
UP, HIS RESPONSIBILITIES IN
THE GANG GREW WITH HIM.
WHATEVER I CAN DO FOR MY
NEIGHBORHOOD TO SHOW THEM,
HEY, I GOT YOUR BACK,
SELLING DRUGS FOR THEM,
DOING DRIVEBYS FOR THEM.
EVERYBODY OUTSIDE OF OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD HATES US, SO
WE'RE GOING TO HATE THEM
BACK.
SO I BECAME THE ENFORCER,
SHOOTING AT ANYBODY WHO CAME
INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT
WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE
THERE.
JUMPING OTHER PEOPLE.
BEATING PEOPLE UP THAT
WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE IN OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD, EN MY
NEIGHBORHOOD.
Reporter: GANG VIOLENCE
CLAIMED THE LIVES OF SEVERAL
OF TOMMY'S FRIENDS AND
FAMILY.
AS MY FRIENDS STARTED
DYING OFF, GETTING KILLED, I
BECAME NUMB TO DEATH.
I HAD NO EMOTION.
IT WAS LIKE A DEAD
NOMINATION.
IT WAS LIKE A VOID.
I HAD TOTAL HATRED FOR
ANYBODY, ANYBODY OUTSIDE OF
MY RACE, ANYBODY OUTSIDE OF
MY RACE.
THAT RAGE I HAD, A LOT OF US
HAD THAT RAGE, AND WE JUST
FLARED EACH OTHER'S RAGE.
WE WOULD SIT AROUND, NOTHING
TO DO, GETTING DRUNK AND
LOADED, AND THEN, HEY, LET'S
GO ROB SOMEBODY.
Reporter: JUST LIKE HIS
FATHER, TOMMY SPENT YEARS IN
JAIL, IN PRISON.
I WAS THIS BIG, BAD KID
COMING IN.
BUT WHEN I WAS STUCK BEHIND
THAT DOOR, I JUST KNEW IT
WAS JUST ME, IT WAS ONLY ME
NOW.
THE FEAR SET IN, THE
LONELINESS, THE
HOPELESSNESS.
IF YOU SHOW WEAKNESS, YOU
WON'T LAST THAT LONG.
WORRY HIS INVOLVEMENT IN
GANG FIGHTS AND RACE RIOTS
LED TO EXTENDED TIME IN
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.
YOU CAN'T MOVE.
I'M A HUMAN BEING, AND I'M
SITTING IN A CAGE WHERE I
CAN'T FUNCTION.
I REALLY WAS LOSING MY
MIND.
I STARTED GETTING SUICIDAL.
I STARTED THINKING OF NOT
LIVING NO MORE.
I WAS, LIKE, IF THERE IS A
GOD, IF THERE IS SOMETHING,
YOU NEED TO COME AND DO
SOMETHING NOW.
Reporter: THE NEXT DAY
TOMMY SAYS HE FELT COMPELLED
TO GO TO THE PRISON CHAPEL
SERVICE.
FOR SOME REASON I
COULDN'T SIT STILL.
SOMEONE WAS SAYING, GO, JUST
GO.
AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW
GOD CAN FORGIVE US, NO
MATTER WHAT WE'VE DONE.
AND I'M THINKING, LIKE, YOU
MUST DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID.
YOU MUST NOT KNOW, THE LIVES
I'VE DESTROYED, THE FAMILIES
THAT ARE TORN UP.
Reporter: AT THE END OF
MESSAGE, TOMMY PRAYED WITH
THE PASTOR AND ASKED GOD TO
FORGIVE HIS SINS.
IT WAS LIKE MY HEART WAS
TORN OUT AND ANOTHER HEART
WAS PUT IN.
IT WAS JOY.
IT WAS PEACE.
IT WAS FORGIVENESS.
I MEAN, I KNEW FOR A FACT
THAT I WAS SAVED.
THERE WAS NO QUESTIONS AT
ALL.
I KNEW I WAS FORGIVEN OF
EVERYTHING I DID AT THAT
MOMENT.
SPIRITUALLY, I KNEW THAT I
WAS CLEAN.
I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD FEEL
THE PEACE.
I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD FEEL
THE JOY.
I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD FEEL
JUST THE FORGIVENESS FROM
THE INSIDE.
Reporter: HE BEGAN
SHARING WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM
WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD
LISTEN.
I WAS TALKING TO
SKINHEADS, I WAS TALKING TO
ENEMIES.
I WAS TALKING TO EVERYBODY I
COULD.
I JUST KNEW WHAT CHRIST HAD
DONE FOR ME.
Reporter: TOMMY IS FREE
TODAY, AND CONTINUES TO TELL
PEOPLE THAT IT WAS JESUS WHO
CHANGED HIS LIFE AND FORGAVE
HIM OF ALL OF THE WRONGS HE
HAD DONE.
IF HE CAN GIVE ME ETERNAL
LIFE AND GOD CAN REACH DOWN
AND TOUCH ME, I KNOW FOR A
FACT THAT HE IS GOING TO
GIVE EVERYBODY THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SURRENDER
THEIR LIVES IN THEIR
LIFETIME.
I WANT EVERYBODY ELSE TO
EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF
CHRIST LIKE I HAVE.
WITHOUT CHRIST, I HAVE
NOTHING.
AND THE LIFE I LIVE NOW IS
TOTALLY SURRENDERED TO HIM.
