The first time the reality of death really hit Kenneth “K.J.” Strong was in fifth or sixth grade when a friend was killed at a Chicago basketball court. “Over the years, I just lost more and more friends,” he told The Marshall Project.
Strong says he used to play sports in school, but after a fight broke out between students, they were prohibited from the programs. He started hanging out on the street more, where he encountered gun violence. “I got tired of runnin’ from bullets,” he said. “I just started picking up guns.”
One day, an officer found Strong with a gun in his possession. He was later sentenced to house arrest, during which he discovered programs for justice-involved youth which led to an apprenticeship with a film production company in the city.
“I never really thought about the future as much as I do today,” he said. “I never thought I would know about cameras. I never thought that I would be coming downtown to an office.”
See more videos: • We Are Witnesses: Chicago
We Are Witnesses: Chicago is an immersive short-video series presenting intimate portraits of Chicagoans who have been touched by the criminal justice system. Produced by The Marshall Project in partnership with Kartemquin Films and Illinois Humanities, these films explore the nature of crime, punishment and forgiveness. Learn more: www.themarshallproject.org/we...
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