Marcus Holmes waited for his nine year-old cousin Jermaine Goffigan to visit last Halloween so they could celebrate Goffigan's birthday.

But Goffigan never got there because he was hit by a stray bullet from a gang shootout that night and died the next day.

Holmes, now a first-year at Boston Latin Academy in Roxbury, shared his story at a panel discussion in Boylston Auditorium yesterday commemorating Violence Against Youth Awareness Day.

Along with five other area teens and a Boston police officer, Holmes described the effect of violence on his life and his attempts to stem conflicts with about 40 audience members.

"I was hanging with my other cousins over in Academy Homes when my cousin got shot," said Holmes. "After that I decided to join Gang Peace and try to help stop the gang violence."

Joining Holmes on the panel were Boston Police Sgt. Ernesto "Tito" Whittington, Ravi Dixit of B.C. High, Saharih Muhammed of Boston Latin Academy, Khali Tabor of Cambridge Rindge and Latin and Corey Bailey also of Cambridge Rindge and Latin.

Some panel members said they were pleased to tell their stories to a broader audience.

"Each one should teach one and that's what we're doing up here," said Muhammed, who is 15.

The wide ranging discussion touched on causes of violence, conflict resolution, a lack of political representation for minorities and ways to stop violence.

Many of the panel members are also members of organizations aimed at stemming youth violence.

Tabor, a high school sophomore who has participated in Cambridge Youth Peace and Justice Corps, pointed to education as a block against violence.

"We go to workshops on sexism, racism and violence so we can learn about these issues and show others," said Tabor of her activities with the Corps.

Tabor said efforts at curbing violence in her school like security systems and violence prevention classes have had mixed results.

"We have security in our school but that doesn't stop the problem. If I don't like you, I can meet you after school away from the security," Tabor said.

But Holmes said despite societal obstacles perpetuating violence, it is important that people keep trying to prevent each other from resorting to violence.

"There's always going to be negatives, but I just have to keep doing what I'm doing," he Holmes.