Summary

Unfortunately, Tyshaun McPhatter learned at a very young age what it was like to be shot at; he was only six years old and visiting his father when he first heard shots ring out. Gun violence was rampant in his Washington, D.C. neighborhood and usually the result of “petty feuds” (70) and arguments. Tyshaun’s mother, Donna, was always worried about her son. The violence was so bad that Tyshaun was not allowed to play outside any more. Living through such danger and chaos takes a toll on children’s brain development. Children trying to manage this stress are prone to clinical depression and anxiety. In the wake of his father’s death, Tyshaun “vacillated between grief and bitterness” (81), and he worried that detectives would never find his father’s murderer. Tyshaun’s behavior at school worsened. The police did find Andrew McPhatter...