Dear John, Too many of us, our loved ones, friends, neighbors, and community members are struggling with the trauma of their experiences of gun violence. This week, for National Gun Violence Survivor's Week, we honor survivors and uplift survivor voices. My friend, Brandon, wanted to tell his story to help prevent others from suffering a loss like his and to stand in solidarity with those who already have. Content warning: The following section describes an incident of fatal gun violence. My Father - Shawn J. Jenkins One word to describe my father was selfless. He'd bend over backward to help. That was his thing -- always the first one to try to gather the family and have a good time — a family man who treated his nieces and nephews like his own. My brothers and I looked up to him because we all wanted to be just like him. He was the life of the party. When he walked in the door, nothing but smiles and love followed.  On October 25th, I called my dad and told him I loved him. I was going through a rough time in my life, and he was there for me. I told him, "I'm sorry I can't be there to help you with the business." He replied, "Don't worry about it. You're my son. I'll always be there for you." I had just turned 21 five days prior, so I asked him if he wanted to go out for a drink when I got home. He laughed and told me yes, as long as I was buying. On October 27th, 2011, everything changed. I called him twice that day with no answer. He was supposed to be my ride home. As I waited, I saw my grandparents pulling up. All smiles, I asked, "Where's my dad? He was supposed to pick me up." They told me he got busy, so they just came. When we got home, there was a group of people waiting for us. I thought maybe it was a little get-together like we always did. This time there weren't any smiles, just silence. My auntie told me to sit down; she had something to say to me. She told me my dad had been shot. I asked if he was okay, if I could go see him, where he was. She told me there was a robbery, and he was killed while locking up his business at the end of the night. Everything changed that day. The family was never the same. The killers were caught and convicted, and we later found out that they were part of a crime spree that started months prior. The gun they used was linked to other homicides and robberies. I couldn't help to think, maybe if they were caught before this could have been prevented. How did a man in trouble with the law get a gun? Why did he feel he needed to shoot and kill a man who would have given him the shirt off his back -- a man who would have given him a job if money was the thing that made him turn to violence. My family still hasn't recovered from that day and maybe will never fully. The get-togethers are fun, but there will always be something -- someone -- missing. I'll never get the chance to have that drink with him. I didn't have a chance to tell him goodbye. He'll never get a chance to see his grandkids and watch them grow -- all because somebody decided instead of taking the money and running, they'd take a life, too. I love you, Pops. - Brandon So many of us live with these traumatic stories of gun violence tearing our families apart. The WAVE team thinks about you every day, and we work to honor your loss and prevent others from experiencing these tragedies. If you have also been impacted by gun violence, we want to give you the opportunity to tell your story if you would like. We are here to listen and support. With deep compassion,
Jacey | 
