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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 5 auguSt 2017
Baltimore residents propose 3-day cease-fire plan

Continued from front Evans’ firm, Illume, is behind these kids need to react.
“NOBODY KILL ANYBODY” the “Stop Shooting, Start That is what we’re trying to
Erricka Bridgeford, a pro- Living” slogan used by a lo- do: empathize with these
fessional conflict mediator cal chapter of the commu- young guys, and say, ‘We
in Baltimore, is one of the nity-based anti-violence understand that your situ-
organizers of the cease- organization Safe Streets. ation is challenging; don’t
fire, whose motto is “No- Now, he’s trying to com- make it more so.’”
body Kill Anybody.” bat the bloodshed with Evans created the cam-
Bridgeford says no individ- an advertising campaign. paign after discussing the
ual or organization alone As he does with any cam- idea with Daniel Webster,
has taken credit for the paign, Evans said he treats the director of Johns Hop-
event, and that’s inten- his anti-violence pitch like kins Center for Gun Policy
tional: That way, she said, a product he’s selling. He and Research.
it belongs to every single said he’s conducted focus
Baltimore resident. groups with victims, active “NO SHOOT ZONES”
The idea is to persuade shooters and drug dealers Tyree Colion is on a mission
shooters to put down their to try to figure out how best to convert areas of gun
guns for three whole days, In this Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017, photo Tyree Colion spray to market the message. In violence into “No Shoot
and remember what it paints the words “No Shoot Zone” on a brick wall behind a one video, a fight breaks Zones.”
feels like to make a positive convenience store, in a spot near where a 13-year-old girl out and a man opens fire He tries to create what he
decision for themselves, was fatally shot in Baltimore County, Md. County police later on a group, only to have calls “invisible force fields”
arrested Colion for what they say was destruction of property,
and for their city. although he claimed he was given permission to paint the wall his infant daughter caught against violence by spray-
“We understand that this by a store clerk. in the crossfire. painting messages on
is not what normal should (AP Photo/Juliet Linderman) “Humanizing the victims buildings and other struc-
be, and we deserve some- is really important,” Evans tures where violence has
thing better,” Bridgeford “I heard shots that woke me OPPOSITION TO VIOLENCE said. “People talk about occurred.
said. “Looking at each up out of my sleep (when) THROUGH ADVERTISING Baltimore city and crime, Those most likely to pick up
other and saying, ‘We my friend Mike was shot. I As James Evans, a Balti- and they talk about it in the guns recognize these zones
deserve peace, for three saw him on the blacktop, I more-based advertising voice of fear, not the voice and neutral areas: They re-
whole days’ — that’s pow- heard him crying not to let executive, watched the of empathy. The voice of spect the space, he says.
erful.” him die,” she said. “I went body count in Baltimore fear suggests that crime The messages “stop shoot-
Bridgeford is no stranger to to funerals all through high skyrocket earlier this year, just exists here, not that vic- ings, first and foremost,”
the effect of violence on school.” he thought he might be tims exist here. Colion said. “At worst, it
communities: She first saw She’s lost friends and cous- able to help. How? By “We’re incentivizing kids looks like graffiti. But to dif-
someone shot and killed ins to gunshots, she said. reaching the unreachable: not to become criminals in ferent gangs, they know
when she was just 12 years “So many cousins.” those most likely to pick up the first place. You could what this means: ‘I don’t
old. a gun and pull the trigger. go from being a hardwork- fear police, I don’t respect
ing citizen, lose your tem- anything else, but I respect
per, do the wrong thing this.’”
and become a criminal in He’s christened 27 such
five seconds. zones in Baltimore city. The
When you’re 18, you’re liv- fatal shooting of a 13-year-
ing in an underserved com- old girl Tuesday is what
munity, you’re frightened brought him across the line
all the time. People don’t into Baltimore County for
understand how quickly the first time. q

San Francisco park where shooting
occurred is plagued by crime, drugs

By PAUL ELIAS book founder Mark Zuck-
LINDA WANG erberg’s $10 million home
Associated Press overlooks the park.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — But the 13-acre (52,600
The San Francisco park square-meter) park with
where three people were spectacular skyline views
shot on a sunny afternoon and a high school across
underwent a $20 million the street sits in the mid-
renovation last year and dle of the Mission District
immediately became one neighborhood, which is still
of the city’s most popular dominated by gangs and
destinations — and a mag- homeless drug users.
net for drug use, gang ac- The shooting Thursday af-
tivity and violence. ternoon at the park that
The new playground, ad- sent families and other visi-
ditional bathrooms and tors scurrying for cover ap-
improved amenities of the peared to be a targeted
park in a gentrifying neigh- incident, and investiga-
borhood of trendy restau- tors are looking into gang
rants and bakeries attracts ties, San Francisco police
dog walkers, families and spokesman Robert Rueca
young tech workers. Face- said. q