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| NY gun reform photography show starts with moment of silence for Charleston | NY gun reform photography show starts with moment of silence for Charleston |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Related: Charleston shooting: Dylann Roof to appear in court after alleged confession – live updates | Related: Charleston shooting: Dylann Roof to appear in court after alleged confession – live updates |
| At the New York opening of his exhibition It Takes Us on Thursday, photographer Joe Quint asked for a moment of silence. The show, organised by the Dads’ chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Everytown For Gun Safety, displays portraits of “survivors”, people left behind by the fatal shootings of loved ones. But Quint’s request was not for them. It was for those killed on Wednesday in Charleston, South Carolina. | |
| The exhibition opened less than 24 hours after nine people were shot dead at a church in the southern city. A few hours earlier, the alleged gunman had been arrested. Not long before that, Barack Obama had once again called for action on gun control, in what was reported to be the 14th post-shooting statement of his presidency. | The exhibition opened less than 24 hours after nine people were shot dead at a church in the southern city. A few hours earlier, the alleged gunman had been arrested. Not long before that, Barack Obama had once again called for action on gun control, in what was reported to be the 14th post-shooting statement of his presidency. |
| Quint, of Brooklyn, said he started the project after a personal “tipping point” prompted by tabloid coverage of last year’s Isla Vista killings. Standing with Richard Martinez, the father of Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, one of three young people shot dead by Elliot Rodger – three others were stabbed – he said: “About two weeks after the shooting there was a cover of People magazine, and about 95% of it was about some Kardashian wedding. | Quint, of Brooklyn, said he started the project after a personal “tipping point” prompted by tabloid coverage of last year’s Isla Vista killings. Standing with Richard Martinez, the father of Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, one of three young people shot dead by Elliot Rodger – three others were stabbed – he said: “About two weeks after the shooting there was a cover of People magazine, and about 95% of it was about some Kardashian wedding. |
| “And in a little bubble in the top corner there was something about the shooting, and it said: “How did this happen again?’ I was so struck by the naivety of that. | “And in a little bubble in the top corner there was something about the shooting, and it said: “How did this happen again?’ I was so struck by the naivety of that. |
| “My feeling was, ‘How can it not happen again? What have we done?’ There hadn’t been this collective shift in the consciousness to prevent it happening again. | “My feeling was, ‘How can it not happen again? What have we done?’ There hadn’t been this collective shift in the consciousness to prevent it happening again. |
| “That was my moment, where I said, ‘I can’t just like another Facebook page and tell myself I’m engaged. I need to have some skin in the game. I need to get out there, and talk to people and I need to share their stories and create this “come to Jesus” moment in other people where they get up and they take meaningful action.’ | |
| “I’ve spent the last year of my life doing that and I’ll continue to do it.” | “I’ve spent the last year of my life doing that and I’ll continue to do it.” |
| Martinez interjected: “The video he did with the teachers at Sandy Hook, was I think the most powerful thing I’ve seen.” | Martinez interjected: “The video he did with the teachers at Sandy Hook, was I think the most powerful thing I’ve seen.” |
| That video, 12/14/12, is available on Quint’s website, ittakesus.com. On Thursday, a group of teachers from Sandy Hook were also present at the Howard Scott Gallery in Chelsea, Quint having filmed them discussing their experiences on the day Adam Lanza, who first shot dead his mother, then 20 children and six adults at the elementary school. | That video, 12/14/12, is available on Quint’s website, ittakesus.com. On Thursday, a group of teachers from Sandy Hook were also present at the Howard Scott Gallery in Chelsea, Quint having filmed them discussing their experiences on the day Adam Lanza, who first shot dead his mother, then 20 children and six adults at the elementary school. |
| Mary Ann Jacob, a library clerk at Sandy Hook, told the Guardian: “Five or six of us gathered in somebody’s kitchen and started talking, and Joe just let the camera roll. We talked about our experience that day, both during the shooting and afterwards, going back to school with the kids and stuff like that. | Mary Ann Jacob, a library clerk at Sandy Hook, told the Guardian: “Five or six of us gathered in somebody’s kitchen and started talking, and Joe just let the camera roll. We talked about our experience that day, both during the shooting and afterwards, going back to school with the kids and stuff like that. |
| “It was the first time we had talked about it. It was hard, because we have to be respectful of the children and the families and their privacy, but at the same time it was something important to us. It was as simple as that. | “It was the first time we had talked about it. It was hard, because we have to be respectful of the children and the families and their privacy, but at the same time it was something important to us. It was as simple as that. |
| “We’ve talked very little about our experience,” she added. “For the first year we really had to get on with taking care of the kids. It’s really only the second year that we’ve started to speak out a little. It’s helping us, as well as hopefully helping raise awareness of this issue.” | “We’ve talked very little about our experience,” she added. “For the first year we really had to get on with taking care of the kids. It’s really only the second year that we’ve started to speak out a little. It’s helping us, as well as hopefully helping raise awareness of this issue.” |
| Some pictures in Quint’s exhibition show survivors whose stories, like Sandy Hook, made national headlines. Lucy McBath is the mother of Jordan Davis, who was shot dead in Jacksonville, Florida, by a man who did not care for the loud music he was playing in his car. Tom Teves is the father of Alex Teves, one of 12 people killed by James Holmes in the Aurora cinema shooting. | |
| Others show those whose cases have resonated locally, like Oksana Naumkin, mother of Nicholas, whose death at 12 years old while playing with an unsecured handgun prompted the passing this week of a New York law in his name. | Others show those whose cases have resonated locally, like Oksana Naumkin, mother of Nicholas, whose death at 12 years old while playing with an unsecured handgun prompted the passing this week of a New York law in his name. |
| Still others show those left behind by deaths which did not attract much press attention and which have gone, in many senses, unresolved. On Thursday, two such survivors spoke to the crowd. | Still others show those left behind by deaths which did not attract much press attention and which have gone, in many senses, unresolved. On Thursday, two such survivors spoke to the crowd. |
| Natasha Christopher lost her son in July 2012. Akeal Christopher died on his 15th birthday, after being shot on a Brooklyn street 11 days before. Nobody has been charged over his death. | |
| “The photographs you see capture moments of anguish, love and perseverance in each of us who has been so deeply affected by gun violence,” Christopher said. “We have not merely survived. We have turned our indescribable anguish into meaningful action that will help save lives.” | “The photographs you see capture moments of anguish, love and perseverance in each of us who has been so deeply affected by gun violence,” Christopher said. “We have not merely survived. We have turned our indescribable anguish into meaningful action that will help save lives.” |
| Darchal Mohler’s daughter Brooklynn died in June 2013. She was shot in the back by her best friend, who found her father’s gun in a kitchen cabinet. Mohler, from Las Vegas, was supported by her husband Jacob. As she talked, she fought back tears. | Darchal Mohler’s daughter Brooklynn died in June 2013. She was shot in the back by her best friend, who found her father’s gun in a kitchen cabinet. Mohler, from Las Vegas, was supported by her husband Jacob. As she talked, she fought back tears. |
| “My daughter had just turned 13,” she said. “My daughter’s death could have easily been prevented, had the adult taken simple measures to responsibly store his gun. Instead, my daughter’s life was suddenly cut short.” | “My daughter had just turned 13,” she said. “My daughter’s death could have easily been prevented, had the adult taken simple measures to responsibly store his gun. Instead, my daughter’s life was suddenly cut short.” |
| “There were no charges,” she said. | “There were no charges,” she said. |
| • It Takes Us, supported by the Dad’s chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Everytown for Gun Safety, runs at the Howard Watts Gallery, 529 West 20th Street, New York to 20 June. It will then travel around the US. Further details at ittakes.us | • It Takes Us, supported by the Dad’s chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Everytown for Gun Safety, runs at the Howard Watts Gallery, 529 West 20th Street, New York to 20 June. It will then travel around the US. Further details at ittakes.us |