T-shirt graveyard shows names of gun victims

Volunteers at Unitarian Congregation of West Chester installed a T-shirt graveyard for gun violence victims.

WEST CHESTER » Volunteers at the Unitarian Congregation of West Chester installed a T-shirt graveyard at the front of their property Saturday. The T-shirts have the name of 57 victims of gun violence in Chester County over the last 10 years, with their name, age and death date on display for all to see who ride or walk by the section of High Street, near West Chester University.

The volunteers included family members of the most recent victim, Eric Brown, who was gunned down in a bar on Market street this April. A ceremony followed indoors where all 57 victims were named.

West Chester Mayor Dianne Herrin, Rev. Dan Schatz, as well as Eric Lorgus, student from Devon Prep helped to organize the #NeverAgain rally in West Chester. Coordinating with the Parkland student movement in Washington, that March 24 rally brought nearly 2,000 people to downtown West Chester. Rev. Schatz stated that thoughts and prayers are not enough, that action is needed. In light of the Santa Fe tragedy, Tom Buglio stated that there have been more gun deaths in schools in 2018 than we have suffered in our military. The emotional highlight of the ceremony was an impromptu address by Elisha Butcher, cousin of Eric Brown, who addressed the audience with the importance of the power of love overcoming hatred and tragedy.

The Memorial to the Lost is a visual display created by Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence, an organization that has been advocating for stronger gun laws and safety for over 10 years in Philadelphia. It works with faith groups to help spread the message of gun violence prevention. The Unitarian Congregation of West Chester is the third Faith group in Chester County to host the memorial, with many more to follow. It is a stark reminder for the many thousands who will see it in the next two months of the fact that gun violence can happen anywhere. The display will be up for all to see at 501 S. High Street in West Chester through the end of June.

SUBMITTED PHOTO The T-shirt graveyard in West Chester, near West Chester University.