Content warning: This story contains difficult descriptions of gun violence and its impact, and mentions suicide. If you or someone you love have been impacted by gun violence and you would like support, you can find resources at everytownsupportfund.org. If you want to speak to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the free and confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) or text the Crisis Text Line (741-741).

John,

The dramatic rise in gun violence in America — the recent mass shootings in schools, supermarkets, and hospitals — have put the devastating consequences and the urgent need for change at the forefront of public conversation. Exoneree Termaine Hicks understands the long-lasting, community impact of gun violence all too well.

In 2001, police responding to a 911 call mistook him for the attacker of the woman he had been trying to help and shot him three times in the back. Police then conspired to cover it up and Termaine was wrongly convicted and incarcerated for 19 years. “Being shot is traumatizing in and of itself — just the violence of getting shot — even when you are fortunate or blessed enough to survive and try to build your life back from that,” Termaine said.

As a shooting survivor, a parent, and a grandparent, Termaine cannot fathom the pain of family members who have lost loved ones to gun violence — that’s why he’s working every day to curb such violence, especially among young people.

During his wrongful incarceration, Termaine met hundreds of teens convicted and incarcerated for gun-related charges. Their stories stayed with him, and after being freed and exonerated in December 2020, Termaine started building S.T.E.P.U.P., an organization that aims to combat gun violence among youth through community-level interventions and programs.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S., with Black children and teens being 14 times more likely than their white peers to be victims of gun homicide.

Termaine’s organization teaches children conflict resolution and critical thinking skills to empower them to speak out against bullying, illegal weapons possession, and other behaviors that can lead to gun violence.

Throughout his years of wrongful conviction, Termaine turned to writing as an outlet to engage his creativity, process his experiences, and think deeply about what was going on in the world. He wrote several scripts, which he has revived through S.T.E.P.U.P., and countless poems, including this one — a tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting, which sadly remains too relevant. Take a moment to read Termaine’s powerful words and learn what he’s doing to help combat gun violence.

So far, S.T.E.P.U.P.’s program, presented at schools from Philadelphia to Portland, has been well received by students, teachers, and parents. If you’d like to support Termaine’s efforts to grow his program, check out his fundraiser here.

Thank you for your continued support,

— The Innocence Project Team