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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 24 Juli 2021
316 people are shot every day in America. Here are 4 stories

(AP) - They panic if a bal- shot in nonfatal gun violence
loon pops. They hold dy- in Philadelphia through mid-
ing family members. They July of 2021 — nearly double
push their wounded bod- what it was in 2019.
ies to heal and scroll long-
ingly through photos and Balloons popping, firecrack-
videos of their lost loved ers or fireworks going off,
ones. Behind the statistics cars that linger too long on
and the political blame the street, or cars with dark
game over rising gun vio- tinted windows all trigger
lence are the victims. panic attacks for Sadiq.
The spike plaguing many He sleeps downstairs in the
American cities this year has living room because the stairs
lawmakers reeling and police to his bedroom are hard to
scrambling, though homicide navigate. His 17-year-old
rates are not rising as high as brother stays with him be-
the double-digit jumps seen cause there are nights Sadiq
in 2020. Still, according to doesn’t sleep at all.
the Brady Campaign to Pre-
vent Gun Violence, 316 peo- INDIANAPOLIS
ple are shot every day in the
U.S. and 106 of them die. It’s Malik Parks had always been
even prompted President Joe proud of his long, black hair
Biden to order federal strike that earned him the nick-
forces in to help catch gun phone is filled with videos Alicia Otero would try to say name “Black Jesus” from
traffickers who are supplying of the two of them perform- no but all it would take was “Me and the other moms feel close friends and family.
weapons used in the shoot- ing TikTok dance routines or one glance of those puppy like no one is listening to us.
ings. posing for selfies. Todriana dog eyes followed by a long No one is listening, like if Parks, who lived in Indianap-
liked to dance and often did drawn out “pleeeease” and their lives didn’t matter,” said olis, enjoyed playing video
And for Americans who backflips in the middle of her she would cave. Even at 24, Otero, holding back tears. games and basketball at the
have lost someone, a grim grandmother’s living room. her oldest son Elias knew “They’re not just a number gym with friends. He was re-
reminder of how the cycle how to win over his mother. — they’re everything to us.” cently baptized and was look-
of violence never seems to Brione and Todriana went ing forward to starting a new
end, only to ebb and flow. In everywhere together, so And she knew the fastest PHILADELPHIA job at UPS.
Washington D.C., Kathren much so that people would way to his heart. If it wasn’t
Brown’s 11-year-old was ask Brione why she was al- homemade green chile en- The front door of Michelle The night of May 8, hours
killed in 2019, and the new ways hanging out with a chiladas, hot wings would Bolling’s house has to be before his death, it was Parks’
wave weighs her down. 12-year-old. “I said if you surely do the trick. They closed by about 6:40 p.m. ev- mom who helped comb
knew her, you would want talked every day. The jabs ery night, no matter how nice his hair before he left for a
“I just want people that are her everywhere you went,” and jokes were endless. They the weather is. friend’s birthday party. It’s
picking up these guns and Brione said. were best friends. not clear what exactly hap-
hurting these innocent peo- On April 15, Bolling’s son, pened at the party. Tompkins
ple (to know) you have no Brione was with Todriana the Elias Otero was killed in front Sadiq Nelson, was leaving said Parks tried to leave the
idea what you’re doing to night she died May 30. The of his home in southwest Al- the Police Athletic League fa- gathering after he and an-
these families,” she says. “We two had been at an end-of- buquerque on Feb. 11, 2021. cility in South Philadelphia, other man had a verbal dis-
are suffering.” school party for young kids He was shot multiple times where he worked. He’d just agreement over a girl. Parks,
and needed to charge their when he confronted a group celebrated his 19th birthday who was unarmed, called his
NEW ORLEANS phones so they could let their of men who were holding his the night before. He had mom, telling her he felt un-
grandmother know to open youngest brother at gunpoint played basketball and talked safe, and asked if she could
Todriana Peters was a com- the door when they came in what witnesses described to his boss about getting his pick him up. Parks’ sister got
bination of sugar and sass, a home. They stopped by an- as an attempted robbery and 17-year-old brother a job. there first but it was too late.
12-year-old with strong opin- other party to get a charger carjacking. He was shot and killed on the
ions who also liked to snug- from Brione’s brother. Dur- Then everything changed. A sidewalk outside the apart-
gle up with her grandmother ing the few minutes they No arrests have been made car with darkly tinted win- ment complex where the
or cousin on the couch. were there, someone opened and his family is still reel- dows stopped near Sadiq party was held, dying in his
fire outside. Two people were ing, heartbroken and in dis- and another teen. A stranger sister’s arms. No arrests have
Todriana loved to try new wounded and Todriana, who belief that they have been opened fire sending a bullet been made in the case.
food like fu-fu — a West was shot in the leg and head, swept up in Albuquerque’s through Sadiq’s left thigh,
African dish found in New died. So far, five people have crime wave. With more than shattering his femur, then Indianapolis police say the
Orleans — and could polish been arrested and charged in 70 homicides so far this year, tearing away a large patch of city is headed toward another
off three pounds of crawfish. the shooting. the city is well on its way to skin from his right thigh. record year for violence, with
And unlike most 12-year- smashing the previous record 144 homicides recorded as of
olds, she loved to clean. She’d After a 2019 that marked the of 80 set in 2019. Sadiq hasn’t walked since, July 20. That’s compared to
clean her cousin’s closet or lowest number of homicides and it will be months before 108 homicides for the same
her grandmother’s house. in nearly half a century, New It has been a nightmare for he can even try. He wears a time period in 2020 — which
Todriana liked things orga- Orleans saw the number of Elias’ parents, his siblings, heavy, metal brace to keep all was already the city’s most
nized and neat. people killed skyrocket in his fiancé and the rest of their pressure and weight off his violent year ever recorded.
2020. And this year homi- close-knit family. Everything femur.
Her cousin, Brione Rodg- cides are up about 16% over had been on track for Elias, Malik’s family said they
ers, remembers Todriana as the same time last year. his mom said. He was doing To get a full picture of the weren’t really fearful of vio-
the consummate “girly-girl,” well at work, he had his own gun violence epidemic, many lent crime before his death
whose favorite colors were “You never know when they place and he and his fiancé experts say it’s important to but Tompkins says they’re
pink and purple. She loved walk off from you, that you’re were starting to make plans. look at not just the number worried about safety even
going to the nail salon and never going to see them alive His mom had even started of people killed but those during everyday chores like
liked to do people’s makeup. again,” said her grandmother. thinking about the possibility who have survived gunshots going to the gas station or the
Despite their age difference, of a grandchild. It all turned and will likely need support store.
Brione and Todriana were ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. upside down with a hysterical for years to come. Sadiq is
more like sisters. Brione’s call on a cold winter’s night. one of close to 1,000 people