April 2021 5
Shamir Gilmore, 21, known for his thoughtful gestures
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 […]
A Mother’s View: Losing a grandchild is a different kind of loss
It was about 6 a.m. on July 5, 2017 when I left the hospital to go to tell my mother the worst news ever. I recall driving and asking God to give me the correct words to say. I got to her house not knowing she was already up, and I began to tell her […]
‘Preacher John’ Rawls, 59, Ladies Man Who Uplifted Those in Need
In church, they called him “Preacher John.” John Rawls, who became a born-again Christian later in life, extolled the merits of saving yourself and changing your life before the coming apocalypse. He also penned poems about saving the Earth and odes to his many girlfriends, whom he showered with gifts. “Womanizing — that was his […]
Shahjahan S. McCaskill, 26, an achiever who overcame cancer
The above image, Shahjahan S. McCaskill, was created by artist Stephanie Smith as part of the 2021-2022 Souls Shot Portrait Project exhibition. ______________________________________________________________________________ Shahjahan Shaquar Ali Vaughn McCaskill was born Dec. 26, 1993 and raised by his mother, Najila Zainab McCaskill Ali, in West Philadelphia. When he was three years old, he met Jarell Jackson at […]
Police recorded 45 murders in Philly in March 2021; here are the victims’ names
At the Philadelphia Obituary Project, we treat homicide victims as individuals rather than statistics. But we are in crisis. The number of people murdered continues to rise, even during the pandemic. And so every month, we will share this data along with the names of each person in one post. In March, 45 people were […]
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Every month, we create a placeholder webpage for each person murdered in Philadelphia. Our hope is to elevate these pages into fully written stories with photos that show who each victim was as a person. Through storytelling, we're shining a light on the human toll of gun violence in Philadelphia.