Finalist: Gun Violence Epidemic
This Premier category recognizes a photographer’s extended story about the everyday life of people who make up a community. The purpose is to encourage attention to the small events in life that are often overshadowed by news and celebrate images that reflect the experiences and dreams of humankind.
A “community” may be defined as a neighborhood, a town, a commune, a rural agricultural area, a city subdivision, or socioeconomic region.
Kavon Lewis is recovering from gunshot wounds and a collapsed lung as he tends to bandages at a repast for his cousin, Kylis Fagbemi, 20-year-old victim of a mass shooting at a block party during a celebration of life held at Good Vibes space in Gwynn Oak, MD on July 21, 2023. ‘It was straight horror for real - the bullet was two inches away from my heart,’ he said. Shell casings from more than twelve guns were found. ‘We were always together, my best friend.’ They went for a snow cone that fateful night and were gunned down. Kavon’s mother rushed to the scene as police tried to stop the bleeding. ‘Picture talking to your child on facetime laying in the street.’ They want to find the police officer with gratitude for saving his life. In a body video released by BPD are his mom’s terrified screams, ‘No! No, No, No. He’s not breathing!’ The officer was heard saying, ‘I need you to fight, come on Bro… God, please let him live.’ Too often it is young people doing the shooting - and doing the dying. According to the Gun Violence Archive, to date there have been 543 mass shootings nationwide and the total number of gun deaths is 33, 886. Teens killed 1,130 with 3,166 injured. As policy-makers debate gun control especially concerning assault weapons – the body count increases with innocents caught in the crossfire.
Gun Violence Epidemic
A mother wails, “My baby, my baby!” as she tucks her son in and the coffin closes. Tamika Linbrith’s pain is primal and unrelenting for Kylis Fagbemi, 20, victim of a mass shooting that left 2 dead and 28 wounded at a block party in Baltimore MD in what has become an epidemic of gun violence in the U.S. ‘He was my protector, my heart,’ she wept. ‘I shouldn’t have to bury my child.’
Kylis' cousin, Kavon Lewis is recovering from gunshot wounds. ‘It was straight horror for real. The bullet was two inches from my heart,’ he said. Too often it is young people doing the shooting and doing the dying. Historically underserved communities and racial inequities contribute to a culture of violence with a disproportionate number of African Americans dead or incarcerated. Counselors talk about emotional trauma that injures the soul leading to a loss of hope that kills as much as any bullet. According to the Gun Violence Archive there have been 656 mass shootings nationwide, which doesn’t include daily incidents in cities like DC metro area where homicides are up 35%. Society is becoming desensitized to a war zone in backyards in this tragic new normal. As policy-makers debate gun control the body count rises with innocents caught in the crossfire.
Joshua Starr's family looked down from their balcony where forensic investigators documented shell casings and bloody clothes. A quadruple shooting left 2 dead and 2 critically wounded at a corner market. Trish Harris, 35, died at the scene, leaving behind 3 children days before Christmas. ‘See those holes,’ said a neighbor. ‘Imagine what that gun did to someone’s head.’ Loved ones shed tears then danced into the night after a passionate celebration of her life. Cle’ Shai Perry, 18 was at her apartment playground when a hail of bullets cut her life short. She loved pink and the services were showered in vivid hues of her favorite color. She looked like a still angel in the casket, wrapped in a pink suit. There has emerged a subculture for final farewells. Rituals include balloon releases, elaborate decorations, and a life-size cutout of the departed where friends pose for selfies at the repast. Aftershocks are crippling and life-changing for families and towns. Solution based initiatives are part of an epic battle to save our youth and, in many ways, our humanity.
Soon there is another body in a pool of blood, another vigil, another mother’s tears as she cries ‘My baby, my baby…’
