Gun Violence 258
Quantico Brunson, a smiling 17-year-old who aspired to build schools
When Quantico Mareno Brunson pictured his future, he saw himself playing football for the Temple Owls, becoming an engineer and building things. “He always said he wanted to build schools and houses,” his mother Shantice Wideman said. “He wanted to build a big old house with 15 rooms so all of my family can be […]
Quadir Flippen, 31, executive chef who championed black engagement on Mayor’s Office panel
Every Sunday, a homeless man would eat food out of Quadir Flippen’s trash can. Quadir, an executive chef at a cafe in Point Breeze, thought he deserved better. “My brother made sure he had a plate,” his sister Nashiya Pinder said. “My brother would cook for him on Sundays and give him something to eat. […]
Javier ‘Naji’ Conde, 39: ‘He was trying to live a more quiet life’
Sparks flew when Javier Conde and Leticia met. She was serving drinks to make extra cash and Javier knew the owner of the bar, and over time they discovered they had a lot in common. “We basically hit it off,” said Leticia, who did not want her last name to be used. “We liked the […]
Jahsun Patton, 18, college-bound football player, actor who ‘had that success thing’
No matter how late Jahsun Ahmad Patton stayed up at night, he still made sure he was up in time to make the long trip from his Northeast Philadelphia home to Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School in West Philadelphia. “I would hear him still up at 2 a.m., then I’d hear him closing the […]
Juwan Evans, 23, launched a clothing line with dreams for a store
At age 23, Juwan Donte Evans had left his past behind him and putting his energy into something positive: A clothing line. “He changed his life and he got himself together and that’s how he created Blockworks,” said his mother, Tiffany Hudson. “He went from the block to working and started selling clothes.” Juwan sold […]
Michael Strong, 21, would give the shirt off his own back, or even a TV
If a friend needed something and Michael Strong Jr. could provide it, he’d do so happily. When he was in high school, Michael’s friends would converge on their home in North Philadelphia after his mother, Sylvia Murray, left for work, and Michael would make breakfast for everyone using food from Sylvia’s last grocery haul. Sometimes […]
Richard Riley, 21, CCP student who dreamed of being an entrepreneur
No matter what the situation or who he was around, Richard Riley was true to his own spirit, his sister Synquetta Walker said, and that made him unique. “This is something that I feel a lot of young men struggle with, because they’re trying to find out who they are or what they are or […]
Alex Ledino, 20, dirt-bike rider who liked ‘stuff nobody else would do’
Alex Jeremy Ledino loved the adrenaline rush of riding dirt bikes through the city. He would do stunts like riding on top of parked cars, and he didn’t limit his riding just to bikes. He also had a Hoveround motorized wheelchair that he’d use to zip around the neighborhood. “He liked to do stuff nobody […]
Emilio Lopez, 18, a humble kid who loved Spanish cooking
When Nilsa Romero had her second son, Emilio, she was a stay-at-home mom for two years, which she was not able to do with her other two children. As a result, she and Emilio had an especially close relationship. “I would never say I have a favorite child, because as a mother you just don’t […]
Jose ‘Pichy’ Rivera, 46, owned a sports bar, loved baseball
When Jose Luis Rivera bought Prime Time Sports Bar in North Philadelphia about six years ago, his family was worried. His mother, especially, didn’t like the neighborhood, and she expressed that to him. “He said everything would be OK and nothing was going to happen,” his younger sister Carmen Agosto said. But on the night […]
Tysheem Pennock, 20: ‘He was trying to be a better everything’
February 2019 was a significant month in Tysheem Pennock’s life. First, his daughter Allure was born on Feb. 16, 2019. And two days later, Tysheem turned 20 years old. Tysheem’s family noticed a major shift in him after the birth of his daughter. “It changed him dramatically,” his aunt Nicole Stone said. “When he was […]
Lamarr M. Boyd, 26, looked forward to becoming a father
Lamarr Boyd and Tiffany Martin were looking forward to welcoming their son into the world. After several miscarriages, they were hopeful that he would be born as planned in November 2018. But the baby was born early, on Sept. 11, 2018, and died the same day. Lamarr and Tiffany were devastated. “He didn’t really show […]
Satario Natividad, 24, cooked up rhymes as Chef Staxx
Satario Natividad worked two jobs, one doing demolition work and another at McDonald’s, but his goal was to make it as a successful rap artist. His stage name was Chef Staxx—he’d say he’s in the kitchen cooking up rhymes—and his mother Cynthia Jacobs recalls one epic performance. He had been locked up, and during that […]
Nasir Sadat, 36, lived by the motto ‘respect the push’
High school football star. Peacemaker. Protector. Nasir Iman Robertson Sadat was all of this and more, but above all else he was a family man. He was devoted not only to his wife and three daughters, but also to his extended family. “When we had family events for New Year’s, for Christmas, for Thanksgiving, for […]
William Lyons, 24: His unborn daughter is due on his birthday
Mirna Santiago and William Lyons met in 2013 when they were both ordering food at McDonald’s. “He bought my food for me, we exchanged numbers and from there we started talking,” Mirna said. Their first date was at Applebee’s. A few months into their relationship, Mirna found out that Will hadn’t been completely upfront about […]
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