Category Archives: Events

In Philadelphia: 12,000 chalk outlines represent annual toll of US gun homicides

Posted on by


For about 12 hours Saturday, local artist Peter Quinn and a team of volunteers drew thousands of chalk body outlines across all four lanes of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, from 20th Street to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.

Quinn describes “American Casualties: A Drawing,” as a community art project intended as “a visual image of the devastation of gun violence in America each year.”

Quinn crowd-funded the project, raising more that $8,000 at Kickstarter.com to for chalk, city permits, and to document the project.

Visit “American Casualties: A Drawing” at facebook.com/AmericanCasualtiesDrawing and on Twitter @12000bodies.

Larry Kane interviewed Quinn and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter in advance of the project for CBS3: Artist Transforms Some Of Philadelphia Into Canvas Reflecting Crisis In America.

Send to Kindle

Philadelphia Commissioner Ramsey: We have a Sandy Hook happening all the time

Posted on by

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey addresses the Commencement of Peace gala held to celebrate the Mothers in Charge 10th anniversary of violence prevention, education and community advocacy Tuesday night.

Mothers in Charge is made up of families berevaed by violence, and Ramsey suggested stiving for a goal where they would find no new members.

Ramsey challenged educators, entertainers, elected officials, parents, prison and police officials and the community to come together with a collective voice to demand a plan to end violence.

The Gun Crisis Reporting Project partnered with Mothers in Charge to cover the gala as well as this week’s Cost of Violence National Conference, and will present more reports in the coming weeks.

Send to Kindle

Fallen Plymouth Township Officer Brad Fox remembered during annual ceremony

Posted on by

Kelly 1

A fellow Plymouth Township police officer places his hand on a new plaque placed in honor of fallen Officer Brad Fox during Friday’s annual Montgomery County Police Officer Memorial Ceremony at the Fraternal Order of Police Memorial at the County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. Photographs for the Gun Crisis Reporting Project by Tom Kelly IV.

Fox was shot to death during a foot chase last September while pursuing the suspect in a hit and run crash. His killer, Andrew Charles Thomas of Lower Merion, committed suicide moments later, according to timesherald.com.

Lynsay Fox, the slain officer’s widow, unveiled the plaque and broke down in quiet sobs, according to phillyburbs.com, adding that the hour-long ceremony concluded with the reading of each deceased officer’s name, the tolling of the courthouse bell and the wailing of bagpipes.

Slideshow: Photographs by Tom Kelly IV.


Loved ones comfort Lynsay Fox, wearing green in the photos above, while Plymouth Police Chief Joseph Lawrence salutes during the ceremony.

Previous reports:

Send to Kindle