Patriots LB Anfernee Jennings' youth camp has extra meaning after shooting in hometown

New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings is hosting his youth football camp for the second time on Friday. But this year, it holds extra meaning for his hometown.

In April, there was a mass shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama that killed four people and injured 32 others. Jennings grew up in the town of about 3,000 people and attended Dadeville High School, where the youth camp will be held. In 2021, he was given a key to the city.

“Initially, last year was the first year of me hosting the camp for my hometown and my community, and it was a success,” Jennings, who is entering his fourth season with New England, told the Boston Globe. “This year, it hits different, with the tragedy that happened in my hometown with the shooting.

“For me to be able to have an opportunity to do something positive and be a light for my community at this time means the world to me.”

The former Alabama star missed the beginning of the Patriots' offseason workouts to help in his hometown. He still has a link to a GoFundMe for funeral expenses for the victims of the shooting on his Instagram bio.

“We’re all just continuing to take it day by day,” he said. “My community is a strong one, with lots of hard-working people. I just want to do right by my community with something like this. We all want the best for our family and friends. Everybody is still grieving in their own way, which is something that’s understandable when a tragic event like this happens. I just want to give people some hope and bring a positive light to my community.

“I just hope it’s a safe and blessed day and everybody has a good time and enjoys themselves.”

Jennings sat out the 2021 season with an injury and played in 16 games (starting three) with 27 tackles last year when the Patriots finished third in the AFC East and missed the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patriots' Anfernee Jennings hosts youth camp after Dadeville shooting