On his 21st birthday, Shamir Gilmore did something unexpected. He gave his mother a gift as a symbol of his gratitude: An artificial purple rose — her favorite color — and said, “Thank you for giving me life.”
Almost a year later, Nicole is still amazed at her son’s touching gesture.
“There’s not going to be another Shamir. He was an original,” Nicole said. “He was different, really different.”
Shamir loved hard, and he found joy in sending family and friends encouraging text messages with his signature catchphrase, “Da’ bien,” which he took to mean, “I’m good.”
It was such a part of him that Nicole had “da’ bien” engraved on his headstone. Shamir was shot April 1, 2021 in the 6300 block of Wister Street in East Germantown and died from his injuries at Albert Einstein Medical Center the following morning, on April 2, 2021. Police have not made any arrests.
Shamir was Nicole’s first child, born in Philadelphia on July 15, 1999 when she was 21. They lived in West Oak Lane, then Germantown. After Shamir, Nicole had two other sons, John and Nakale.
“When I had Shamir, everything just got so much better in my life,” she said. “He was a major blessing. He changed me.”
As a child, Shamir was energetic and silly, and he loved to make people laugh. As an adult, Shamir used jokes to defuse situations, and he channeled his humor into a standup comedy. His social media feeds show him posing for pictures with local comedians.
Boxing was another passion for Shamir. He started boxing at 15, and by 17 “his hands were lethal weapons,” Nicole said.
When he was a teenager, he also began to work construction, which Nicole saw as a potential path to independence as he got older.
In 2016, when Shamir was 17, one of his closest friends, Markeish Johnson, was fatally shot outside of his home in Germantown. That loss affected Shamir deeply. On a tribute page for Markeish set up by a funeral home, Shamir left dozens of messages for his friend over the years updating him on his life milestones: getting his driver’s license, getting a job with the city, becoming a father.
Shamir had attended Mastery Charter High School and worked a seasonal job at Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, which he was expecting to turn into a full-time role.
Family was important to Shamir, and he had a sentimental side. He named his son Jyshon after his brother who died years earlier at two days old, and he checked up on relatives and friends on a regular basis to share a supportive word.
“I couldn’t believe how many people said they’re not going to get their call or text every day,” Nicole said. “This boy was making the rounds and I didn’t even know it.”
Shamir’s 14-year-old brother Nakale Gilmore described his brother as reliable and loyal, and he remembers how Shamir encouraged him to “keep striving for greatness,” he said.
Shamir’s other brother, John Williams, 18, recently graduated from high school and Shamir would have been so proud.
“He would send me texts every morning encouraging me to be better and to stay positive,” he said. “He was always there when we really needed him. There was no hesitation about it.”
Shamir wanted to expand his role as a supportive presence to family and friends and turn it into a career. He was interested in being a mentor to young people and helping them live to their fullest potential.
Instead, his loved ones are holding the memories of his encouraging words in their hearts.
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Shamir’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
