Most US gun violence never makes the national news; AP tells one family’s heart-wrenching story
In Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022, Daniel Guess holds a photograph of himself, right, along with his father, Larry Guess, center, and brother David Guess. David, 51, was shot to death in March over payment for an auto part — a seemingly routine dispute that escalated, like many U.S. incidents of gun violence. And like many such victims, his killing drew little attention outside his local area, but his death shattered many lives. (AP Photo / Brynn Anderson)
By Michael Tarm, Brynn Anderson, Angeliki Kastanis and Samantha Shotzbarger
Mass shootings are terrifying and command major media attention, but they represent a tiny fraction of American gun violence.
The vast majority of deadly shootings are not plotted and perpetrated against large groups of unsuspecting strangers; they are violent spasms in disputes between individuals that spin out of control. Often the victim and shooter know each other. And although rarely receiving national attention, these killings are just as traumatic for victims’ families and their communities.
Larry Guess, sheds a tear in Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022, as he talks about his son, David Guess, who was killed in March by gun violence. The effect on Larry, 72, has been devastating; he rarely leaves his home and often doesn’t get out of bed. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
Larry Guess holds a mug with a photo of his son David Guess, in Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022, in Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022. Guess says he uses the mug for coffee every day and still can’t believe his son is gone. David Guess was shot to death in March in a seemingly routine dispute over payment for an auto part. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
Photos of David Guess and his family are displayed on a table as Daniel Guess remembers his brother in Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022. David Guess, 51, a small town father of four was killed by gun violence in March. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
Larry Guess adjusts a flower bouquet carrying a sign saying “Dad” on the grave of his son David in Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022. According to the police, Guess was shot with a handgun in March and burned in a wooded area with tires piled on his body. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
The sun sets near David Guess’ grave in Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022. Guess, a 51-year-old small-town father of four who struggled with addiction, was fatally shot in March by an aquaintance in a dispute over payment for an auto part. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
A dirt road, seen June 24, 2022 in Moulton, Ala., leads to the crime scene where 51-year-old David Guess, was shot to death in March. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
Shattered window glass and a clown are seen at the home of Charles Allan Keel in Trinity, Ala., June 24, 2022. Keel faces murder charges in the death of 51-year-old David Guess; police say that in March, Keel shot Guess with a handgun in a dispute that began over payment for a car part. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
Guns are displayed at Mike’s Pawn shop in Moulton, Ala., June 24, 2022. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
Tonya Guess, left, leans on her husband Daniel Guess before they speak to a Lawrence County Sheriff’s office investigator about Guess’ brother David, in Moulton, Ala., June 24, 2022. David Guess, 51, was fatally shot in March; his killing drew little attention outside the rural stretch of northern Alabama where Guess grew up and later worked as a mechanic and truck driver, though his death shattered many lives. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
Daniel Guess, left, Cameron Parker, foreground, Larry Guess, center, and Jerry Gulley, right, talk outside of Guess’ trailer home in Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022. David Guess, son of Larry and brother of Daniel, was shot and killed in March, in a dispute that began over payment for an auto part. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
Avery Moore, 4, of Athens, Ala., waits for her grandfather to come outside in Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022. Her mother says she is still confused about where her uncle is and why he hasn’t come back home. Avery asks, “Where is Uncle David again, is he coming home soon?” – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
Larry Guess, 72, and granddaughter Avery Moore, 4, stand amid some old tires in Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022. Guess’ son, David Guess, a 51-year-old small-town father of four, was fatally shot by an acquaintance in March. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
In Athens, Ala., June 23, 2022, Larry Guess looks at a line of hats on his bedroom wall; one that says Guess on the brim belonged to his son, David Guess, who was killed by gun violence in March. – AP Photo / Brynn Anderson
To examine — and show — this less-recognized side of gun violence in America, reporter Michael Tarm, photographer Brynn Anderson, data journalist Angeliki Kastanis and digital storytelling producer Samantha Shotzbarger collaborated to produce “Gun violence in America: A long list of forgotten victims.”
This compelling narrative was chock full of big-picture insights about gun violence, and it was humanized by the deeply reported story of an Alabama man who was fatally shot by an acquaintance earlier this year. It also highlighted an inconvenient truth about reporting on gun violence: Major gaps in national data add to the challenge of political solutions.
.@brynnbot is among the best photojournalists I've ever worked alongside. She and AP's @mtarm put together an incredibly moving story and photos on the many forgotten victims of gun violence in America. Their focus was on a family in Athens, Alabama. https://t.co/dK5ohAtMJA
Tarm’s law-enforcement expertise was pivotal in shaping the theme and identifying the story’s main character; Anderson’s stunning photography complemented the text and uncovered key details about the Alabama murder; Kastanis’ data analysis provided a factual foundation for authoritative writing; and Shotzbarger’s digital presentation gave audiences a visually arresting experience. The team worked collaboratively: As data,reporting and photos came in, they deliberated about the best way to frame the story and present it for maximum effect.
The journalists collaborated across departments to frame and present the story for maximum effect.
The project brought AP’s resources to bear on gun violence and elevated AP’s coverage just as a tragic July Fourth weekend unfolded in and around Chicago, putting guns back in the national spotlight. The “Forgotten Victims” story and photos received prominent play and landed above the fold on the front pages of at least two Alabama newspapers. The Chicago Tribune dedicated a full inside page to the story and photos.
For an insightful package that sheds light on the tragic toll taken by tens of thousands of U.S. gun deaths that do not make national headlines each year,the team of Tarm,Anderson, Kastanis and Shotzbarger earns AP’s Best of the Week — Second Winner.
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