“Before I was in denial like about stuff I thought I was untouchable... I was telling somebody like I don’t do nothing to get shot. So like, that’s like my last worry. I said I don’t think I never get shot. And that night I got shot.”

17 year old Tommie Harbin was never in a gang, never dealt drugs, never carried a gun. Avoiding violence never seemed that hard. Tommie kept busy. Mostly, he played basketball. Because when he plays basketball he feels most like himself. Still Tommie got shot. And now he has to rely on the same mental toughness ­ the kind that earned him recognition as a basketball star to bounce back. But it’s not easy.

17 year old Tommie plays all position on the Running Rebels basketball team. He got shot in the leg March 2016, and is trying to build up strength to play basketball like he used to.

Photo Credit: photo courtesy of Derrick Shoates