Gun Violence 265
Ruben Alvarez, 22, a new dad who loved to debate
Ruben Avarez excelled as a student at Olney Charter High School. He was in advanced placement courses and on the debate team, and he was awarded a full scholarship to Bloomsburg University upon graduation in 2016. Rather than enrolling right away, though, Ruben, whom everyone called “June,” decided to take a year off. One year […]
Anthony Abel, 46, father of four who enjoyed line dancing and cars
At cookouts and parties, everyone knew where to find Anthony Calvin Abel — he would be line dancing and having so much fun that he’d be the last one to leave. “He wasn’t just the life of the party, he was the life of the life,” his daughter Anea Abel-Wilson said. Anthony was also known […]
Kevin Triplett, 59: ‘It really messed the whole neighborhood up when my dad passed’
Back in the day, Kevin Triplett would put on his Walkman headphones, blast Public Enemy or LL Cool J, and sing, no matter where he was. “Being on the sub or the bus with him was so embarrassing because he used to sing out loud to the point where I didn’t want to be with […]
Thalyl ‘Baby 9’ Taylor, 17, 2nd son killed, with funeral disrupted by coronavirus
Thalyl Rashiem Taylor didn’t have the easiest start in life. He was born with underdeveloped lungs, and he was hospitalized frequently with asthma. But that didn’t stop him from playing basketball. At about 5 feet 6 inches, he wasn’t the tallest on the team, but he was good, and had dreams of making it big. […]
Raheem Stoner, 38, lead carpenter for the city with his own business—who loved family game night
Raheem and Camille Stoner first locked eyes in the late ‘90s when they were in their early teens. They met on a Friday, and by Monday, they were a couple. Raheem was her first and only love. “He was cute,” Camille said. “I was a young teenager, and I thought, ‘Who is this cute, tall […]
James Harry Devlin Jr., 26, loving father whose murder goes unsolved for 35 years
When Ryan Devlin was a young child, she contracted a virus that made her temporarily unable to walk. Her parents were separated at the time, and she recalls her father, James Harry Devlin Jr., coming to visit with gifts she’d treasure for years. “He brought me a bunch of Michael Jackson posters,” she said. “That […]
Donte Felix Smith, 27, ‘holidays weren’t complete until he finally showed the hell up’
The above image, Place I Belong, was created by artist Laura Orfanelli as part of the 2020-2021 Souls Shot Portrait Project exhibition. _____________________________________________________________________________ You could never stay mad at Donte Smith. He would simply lift up his pant legs and flash a pair of mismatched theme socks decorated with dogs, Doritos or hamburgers. “He was […]
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 […]
Most viewed
