EXHIBITION:
October 15th, 2023
Chicago, Illinois
Eustoquia Alvarez & Danny Macedo lost their son & brother Erick Macedo, 21
Melinda Abdallah lost her son Jacob Abdallah Sr., 24
Norma Ambrosio lost her son Michael Ambrosio, 20
Nancy Anacleto lost her brother Jorge Anacleto, 20
Catalina Andrade lost her son Miguel Angel Rios, 18
Elizabeth Brant lost her brother Jesus Brant, 33
Tonya Burch lost her son Deontae Smith, 19
Rafael & Milagros Burgos lost their daughter Alexandria Imani Burgos, 18
Zenobia Carmel lost her son Michael Octavio Bell, 36
Delphine Cherry lost her daughter Tyesa Cherry Abney, 16 & her son Tyler Randolph, 20
Ron Clewer lost his brother Kevin Clewer, 31
Janeece Cobb lost her nephew Edwin Cook, 19
Celia Colon lost her sister Guadalupe Lopez, 35
Patricia Deates lost her son Eric Crawford, 13
Matthew Galvan lost his son Thaddeus Rodriguez Jr., 25
Dolores Gonzalez lost her son Robert James Gonzalez, 21
Christina & Ariyana Johnson lost their son & brother Christopher Johnson, 22
Yolanda Jordan lost her sons Cedric Jordan, 19 & Demetrius Jordan, 32
Marci Keener, Ryan Keener & Matthew Gerlach lost their son & brother Nicholas "Nick" Keener, 16
Lourdes Lara & Jennifer Ramirez lost their son & brother Chrys Carvajal, 19
Marsha Lee lost her son Thomas "Tommy" Lee, 20
Nanette Luna lost her son Victor Felix Jr., 16
Mychal Moultry Sr. lost his son Mychal "MJ" Moultry, 4
Francisca Perez & Luis Perez lost their son & nephew Fernando M. DeLeon, 34
Elizabeth Ramirez & Pascual Nunez lost their son Harry "Dee Jay" Ramirez, 23
Alan Scott lost his daughter Kaylyn Pryor, 20
Shirie Sanders & Mary Sandifer lost their son & brother Antoine Howard, 38
Rochelle Sykes lost her nephew Demetrius Griffin Jr., 15
Sylvia Wachewicz lost her son Renee Giovanni Castillo, 31
Thank you for letting us tell your stories.
1 in 5 Americans has lost a family member to gun violence.
In Chicago, the number of gun violence homicides is skyrocketing, and police are unable to keep up with the caseloads. Left behind are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles sharing the unbearable ache of the deepest loss.
Crime Scene
Heading West
Some of the kids growing up in the suburbs have never been to the city
Roses on the sidewalk where her son lost his life
Window facing crime scene
At one of our locations in Little Village, we came across this sign of 8-year-old Melissa Ortega who was shot and killed during a shootout that began near where she was walking with her mother on the sidewalk, just a block away from our production
With Shattered Hearts we aim to tell the stories of those who have been unheard and left in the dark, alone with their pain. All these families haven't received justice and their cases remain unsolved. The eyes of a mother reveal the torment of losing a child. Nonetheless, fighting for justice is what drives them to get out of bed every day.
Alexandria, Christopher, MJ, Kaylyn, and all the other victims touched hearts while they lived and were unconditionally loved. Each of them had bright futures ahead, with aspirations to do good in life. In the wrong place at the wrong time - their lives taken for no reason. Unpredictable.
Shattered Hearts raises awareness of the far-reaching consequences of gun violence and of all the ways that impact the physical, mental, and emotional health of millions of people in American cities.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
Alderman Raymond Lopez
Alderwoman Silvania Tabares
Andrew Holmes Foundation
Brady Illinois
Chicago Police Family Liaison Unit
Circle of Love
Illinois Council Against Handgun Board
Illinois Gun Violence Prevention Coalition
Jalen L. Hunter Foundation
Lock It Down Foundation
Martyr for Justice Project
Parents for Peace & Justice
Parents of Murdered Children
Purpose Over Pain
Project H.O.O.D.
Taking back our community in honor of Deontae Smith
Tender Youth Foundation
and
A Quiet Enemy
Lawndale Christian Legal Center
LUV Institute
Thank you for supporting the Shattered Hearts project.
Every day, more than 110 Americans are killed with guns.