Young filmmakers document gun violence in Philly’s Kensington neighborhood

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Ethan Rodriguez is still haunted by disturbing images of gun violence he saw growing up in Kensington, a Philly neighborhood often described as “the Badlands.” The 21-year-old remembers walking home from school and watching a group of men argue. The altercation escalated, and then he heard gunshots.

“I remember just picking up the pace and not looking back, and just trying to, like, get off of that block,” Rodriguez said. “It was very scary having that happen on the other side of the street.”

After moving to the suburbs to study journalism at Arcadia University, he discovered that not everyone grows up surrounded by violence, which compelled him to share his story through filmmaking. Rodriguez and 13 other student journalists from five states collaborated on the PBS News Student Reporting Labs documentary “Run, Hide, Fight: Growing Up Under the Gun.”

“It was very empowering, and it made me feel less voiceless, as if this is not something that is beyond changing,” Rodriguez said.

He said he felt like had no voice at 14. He never told his mom or anyone else about the argument he witnessed.

“Because it was just a product of our neighborhood, it happened quite frequently,” Rodriguez said.

Shawn McCarthy, who also witnessed gun violence growing up in Kensington, worked on the film as a student camera operator.

“It made me realize that my story is not unique, which made it worse in some ways,” McCarthy said. “It did help to be around people and have people talk about this topic.”

Filmmaking can help the students heal from the trauma, said Steve Dixon, manager of media instruction, WHYY Education of Media Lab.

“It doesn’t matter if a student has been shot or inflicted that gun violence on themselves,” said Dixon, who helped the students with the production. “Just being around it can have a toll on them, as well.”

Rodriguez agreed. “It was amazing being a part of a larger conversation because this is a larger-scale issue. It’s not just a Philly thing.”

Gun violence has killed at least 183 people in Philadelphia this year, according to the city controller’s office. Sixteen of those who died were under the age of 18.

“Run, Hide, Fight: Growing Up Under the Gun” airs Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on WHYY-TV 12.