ST. LOUIS (KMOX)- A southside Chicago pastor is not on a crusade for new gun control laws.

Corey Brooks brought a different type of anti-violence message to St. Louis, on Saturday, “I’m not in the business of changing laws, but in the business of changing hearts. Even if you make new laws, people with bad hearts are going to continue to do bad things. But, if we can change hearts, minds, and perspectives, then laws won’t make a difference at all.”

Known as the “Rooftop Pastor,” Brooks said his Project HOOD (Helping Others Obtain Destiny) talks have proved effective in getting public, private, and religious based groups together to dramatically reduce gun-related deaths in his neighborhood.

He said each inner-city must look at four “ills” that lead to violence— and come up with ways to address them. Those four ills are: social dysfunction, lack of education, money problems, and spirtual de-hydration.

A side-note…

During his “Walk Across America” this summer, Pastor Brooks is hoping to collect $15 million in donations to build a community and economic development center in Chicago that can serve as a prototype for other big cities. Visit www.projecthood.org for more information.