Gun Violence 258
Marcus Alexander, 26, opened his home to those in need
Marcus Alexander’s friends always knew they had a place to crash if they were hungry, arguing with their parents, or needed a respite from the streets. Growing up in Southwest Philadelphia, Marcus would invite at least 10 kids to dinner and the occasional stray dog, his mother, Theresa Guyton, remembered. He persuaded a friend to […]
Desiree Shaffer, 37, an outgoing mom and ‘the cool aunt’ who loved to dance
Desiree Shaffer was the cool aunt to her niece Justine Greenwood. As a young teenager, Justine would sometimes skip school to spend the day with her Aunt Desi, blasting Beyonce, watching The Ellen DeGeneres show and hanging out. Desiree, who had memorable bright blue eyes, was the younger sister of Justine’s mother, Misty. At 14 […]
Wahseem Mason, 15, athletic teen who cared for his community
Besides loving sports data, Wahseem Mason was a gamer, and his mother, Nadira Madison, remembers it almost cost her $600 to find out. Wahseem was in fifth grade, spending another afternoon playing video games and enjoying the experience, but he needed extra money to purchase more levels. The system was already set up in Nadira’s name, […]
Anthony Dixon, 29, born salesman who loved anything with wheels
Anthony Teron Dixon’s father taught his son how to drive on the dirt back roads of Georgia. The boy was no more than 8, yet he maneuvered the machine like a champ. “He would get behind your car in a minute and drive,” remembered his mother, Tonya Nesmith. “Anything that got wheels, he would ride.” […]
Juawann Mason, 27, former high school basketball star and Bloomsburg University grad
The above image, Coalesce, was created by artist Bryan Smith as part of the Souls Shot Portrait Project 2021-2022 exhibition. _____________________________________________________________________________ Juawann Mason always strived to do the right thing. While others got wrapped up in drama on the streets, Juawann chose college. And after he earned his bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University, he decided […]
Rasheed Marion, 43, cook who wanted his own food truck
Dawn Victoria Williams was at a bar with a friend in 2019 when Rasheed Marion caught her eye. “I was checking him out, but then I was like, ‘Nah, I’m not at a place where I want to be in a relationship,’” she said. Not long after that, they found themselves at the same bar […]
Keshone ‘Papi’ Young, 24, cat lover who planned to be an electrician
The above image, Keshone Forever Young, was created by artist Val Yoder as part of the 2021-2022 Souls Shot Portrait Project exhibition. _____________________________________________________________________________ Keshone Young was the epitome of happy-go-lucky. He didn’t let anything get him down. When his mother Lakesha Saunders mourned the recent loss of her parents, Keshone encouraged her to smile, told […]
TeJan Jenkins, 19: ‘He had so many opportunities in front of him’
The above image, Portrait of TeJan Adris Jenkins, was created by artist Elisa Abeloff as part of the Souls Shot Portrait Project 2021-2022 Exhibition. _____________________________________________________________________________ TeJan Adris Jenkins had a good life. While his West Philadelphia neighborhood wasn’t the best, “he had great exposure to the world,” his mother Terry Jenkins said. “TeJan had a […]
Daniel Robinson, 33, stylish dresser who was kind and generous
Daniel Robinson and Shakeya Johnson were at Franklin Mills last year when he told her, “Get whatever you want.” She had never met a man so kind and generous, and it made her nervous. “I’m hesitating like crazy,” Shakeya said. “I didn’t want to get anything too expensive. At the register I’m trying to take […]
Saleem West, 16: ‘Basketball was his whole life’
Acquanetta A. Sutton never thought she’d be a mother. Doctors told her she would not be able to bear children, but she ultimately proved them wrong. On July 25, 1999, after 30 hours of labor, Acquanetta gave birth to her only child, Saleem West. “He was my miracle baby,” she said. “He changed my whole […]
Marcus Dixon, 30, loving dad with a ‘Hollywood smile’
Marcus Dixon was born with sickle cell disease, a painful condition that required frequent hospitalizations, especially when he was younger. Despite that, he remained upbeat and playful. “A few times he asked, ‘Why do I have to have sickle cell?’” his mother Jada Dixon said. “But his illness never stopped him from doing whatever he […]
James Walke III: Five years after his murder, his family still seeks answers
To Yullio Robbins, every day is February 23, 2016. That’s the day that her old life ended and her current reality set in: On that afternoon, her son James Walke III was shot and killed in Germantown. Investigators have not identified a suspect, despite having a surveillance video showing the gunman running from the scene. […]
Yasir Hopkins, 26, talented basketball player hoping to get into real estate
When he was young, Yasir Hopkins dreamed of making it big in basketball or boxing. He closely followed the Sixers, idolizing players like Allen Iverson and Ben Simmons. “Ever since he was old enough to pick up a basketball, he wanted to play. Then he wanted to box,” said Yasir’s mother, Crystal Justice. “He was […]
Raheen Myers, 30, aided another homicide victim 1 month before he was murdered
As he was walking through a North Philadelphia neighborhood on the evening of June 7 of this year, 30-year-old Raheen Myers witnessed a robbery and murder. Robert Wood III, a 21-year-old reservist in the U.S. Marine Corps, was approached from behind by two men who grabbed his backpack. One of the men shot Robert, and […]
Adam Hammer, 17, ‘the realest person you’d ever met’
When he was in sixth grade, Adam Hammer wrote about how his dream was to walk onto the football field at Oklahoma State University, just like Vince Papale did with the Eagles. He was nervous because at the time, he was the shortest player on the team and only weighed about 45 pounds, but Adam […]
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