At the age of 7, I was shot in my head and left on the pavement to bleed out on the streets of Hartford. I was struck with a stray bullet from gang crossfire at the West Indian Day parade in 2008. This senseless act of gun violence has left me with partial paralysis. I walk with a limp and have only partial use of my left hand.
There has been no change in the city when it comes to gun violence. Just in 2022, Hartford broke its record with 367 illegal guns collected off the streets. That year, it also had the highest killing rate — 39 people — in decades. The city introduced a shot spotter system in 2012, and even with that, the violence has not gotten any better.
I recall Sandy Hook like it was yesterday. On Dec. 14, 2012, a shooter left 20 innocent children and six adults dead. This story was shared with the public for weeks. The families were showered with gifts. In urban communities, when a family loses a child and the media covers it, the public does not give it any attention.
After I was shot, my recovery took some time, but I was supported by my community. I would get random visits from friends and strangers, gifts and letters from people in the city.
But after leaving the hospital, we struggled. There were no resources for me and my family. Getting resources for those in need in Hartford is one of the most important things the city needs. We need programs for those who do not know where to go when in need. This is why I am an anti-gun-violence activist and I host annual bookbag giveaways and food giveaways around Thanksgiving.
I am a co-founder of a nonprofit called Victims Against Violence, which raises awareness about gun violence and gives back to the community in several ways. I run this organization with my mother and siblings. We started the organization because we wanted people to be more aware about what the violence is doing to the city.
It was a form of turning a negative to a positive for us. We wanted people to understand that they weren’t alone. The main purpose was to bring unity to the city. Every year, we help several families for Christmas. The kids make a wish list, and our sponsors try their best to fulfill these lists. Last year, we got 300 families’ wish lists sponsored, and some gifts were made anonymously.
Victims Against Violence also hosts an annual Christmas event. All kids who attend get free gifts. Our organization does turkey drives and backpack giveaways, all full of school supplies every year for those in need. We are working to make changes in the city and to lift our people, so we collaborate with other organizations like YEDS (Young Educated Determined to Succeed).
Growing up in Hartford, my life was always a struggle, even before I was shot. We had few resources, and we didn’t always have the things we needed. I come from a single-parent home — me, my mother and my five siblings — so I personally know what it feels like to be in need with no one to call on. This is the reason we do the work in the community that we do, striving to become the people we needed years ago.
Kids are killing kids, and I have lost too many friends to guns. Now, helping other victims is my purpose, and I and those who stand behind me will make an impact.
Tyrek Marquez was born and raised in Hartford. He is a 22-year-old senior at Central Connecticut State University.