2018 18
Trevonte Marks, a ‘man of the house’ at 15, who aspired to be a designer, rapper
Trevonte Marks never wore a bad outfit. Whether it was his school uniform or if he was dressing up for a special occasion, Trevonte, or better known as Tre, always made sure he looked good. Inspired by his dad and uncle’s style, Trevonte loved streetwear and sneaker culture, as noted by his impressive collection of […]
Audrey Rhoads, 25, a home health aide and mother of two
In October 2017, Audrey Labrie Rhoads’ mother Lavonne passed away, and it hit the family hard. Audrey, who went by the nickname Brie, had been attending grief therapy and was starting to feel a little better. But now, her family’s grief is compounded. Brie and her fiance Raheem Brown were shot and killed July 8, […]
Nicole Murray, 24, devoted daughter of ‘Superman’
Nicole Murray’s dad, Kevin, was her world, her superhero, the guy who blew every other man out of the water. One time in kindergarten, Nicole was hysterical after leaving her favorite stuffed pig in her cubby at St. Leo’s in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. Kevin rushed out after hours and banged on the convent […]
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 […]
Nasir Debnam, 21: ‘My son wanted to change,’ mom says
Nasir Debnam was an outgoing guy who loved to dance and joke around. He enjoyed playing basketball and riding dirt bikes, but but most of all, he loved his friends. If Nasir loved you, his mother Schwana Debnam said, it means he saw something special in you. So when he lost two close friends to […]
Ryan Dillon, 17, a Mummer who dreamed of being a comedic chef
The above image, Rydill, was created by artist Elena Cipolia as part of the 2021-2022 Souls Shot Portrait Project exhibition. ______________________________________________________________________________ From the time Ryan Dillon could walk, he was a comedian. He would do anything, including physical comedy stunts, to make people laugh. He also “ate like it was his job,” his mother […]
Raheem Brown, 28, a loving father of five with 10 siblings of his own
Raheem Brown had a lot of love in his life. He was the father of five children and he doted on them. He was also engaged to a woman he had been with for nine years, and he was one of 11 siblings in a tight-knit family. He’ll never be able to finally get married […]
Tyree Bates, 14, was all about basketball
Tyree Bates had a lot to look forward to: Turning 15, getting more playing time on his high school basketball team, starting 10th grade. But instead of cheering him on as he dunks a basketball, his family and friends are maintaining a memorial for him at 4th and Susquehanna in Kensington, the spot where he […]
Shelton Hayes, 39, a marketing pro who was working on a men’s clothing line
Shelton T. Hayes “came into the world driven,” his mother Rhonda Gore said. He was a marketing professional who also spent time working in the entertainment industry. And, at the time of his death, on March 15, 2018 — three days after turning 39 — he was in the process of getting his men’s clothing […]
Bakeer “Bok” Green, 34, a beloved West Philly basketball coach
Kids, basketball and his West Philadelphia community all played major roles in the life of Bakeer “Bok” Green. Born Jan. 23, 1984 in Philadelphia, Bakeer grew up in West Philly. A turning point in his life came in ninth grade, when he was sent to Glen Mills, a residential school for at-risk boys in Delaware […]
Dominique Oglesby, 23, a Penn State senior who loved to sing
At birth, Dominique Kimani Oglesby was diagnosed with a condition called laryngomalacia, which is a narrowing of the air passage that causes a “floppy voice box,” her mother Danielle Shaw-Oglesby explained. “They said she was not really going to talk louder than a whisper,” she said. Dominique underwent surgeries at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and […]
Juanyea Kennedy, 21, whose smile could light up a room
Maria Terry remembers Juanyea Kennedy well, even though they only went to school together until fourth grade. “He was really a nice person. He had a nice personality and a really bright smile that would just light up the room,” Terry, 22, recalled. Though Juanyea went to a different school after the two attended elementary […]
Sean Schellenger, 37, real estate developer who believed in second chances
At 17 years old, Linda Schellenger gave birth to her son, Sean. As a young woman with a young son, Linda knew that she needed to pave the way for her family’s future. Together, Linda and Sean worked to break that cycle and build a great life. “He and I were the first college educated […]
Tymir Spruel, 17, a standout basketball player with pro dreams
When Tymir Spruel was 10 years old, his father, Gregory Spruel, took him to audition for the renowned Philadelphia Boys Choir. “Tymir could sing, we heard it in him when he was little,” Gregory recalled. “He sounded a little like Michael Jackson.” The audition went well, but Tymir didn’t make the cut. Still, the choir […]
Brian Webb, 54, Air Force veteran and new college graduate
Although he was 54, in a way, Brian Webb’s life was just beginning in the spring of 2018. He had just earned his bachelor’s degree in health administration from Peirce College and was getting ready for one of the proudest moments of his life: walking across the stage at graduation to accept his diploma. He […]
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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.