Artist killed while painting anti-violence mural in California
A community in Oakland, California is mourning the loss of one of its local artists who was shot and killed while painting an anti-violence mural on Tuesday.
Although police have not released the name of the artist, community members told the the Los Angeles Times that his hame was Antonio Ramos. Ramos was a painter. He was working on a mural project that was headed up by the Attitudinal Healing Connection at the time of his death.
The project was a mural conceptualized from the minds of middle-school students in Oakland. The students had envisioned themselves as superheroes with powers that would help solve local community issues.
Members of the Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project wrote in a Facebook post:
%shareLinks-quote="In the midst of beautifying the community with youth messages of hope and love, this horrific tragedy happens." type="quote" author="Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project" authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"%
It was by happenstance that Ramos got involved in the project in the first place:
"Living in the neighborhood he would walk past it and one day he asked if he could help. From that day on he was working on the project every day," the group wrote. They also said that the artist always had a smile on his face and was frequently seen playing music and snapping pictures.
They went on to say that his death is the result of "senseless gun violence that continues to plague" the community.
According to Oakland police, a gunman opened fire at Ramos on Tuesday morning under a highway. He was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital. Officers say the gunman walked away before they arrived at the scene.
The group went on to say that Ramos was "a bright light on the team, bringing positivity, humility and dedication to the project."
The Oakland Super Heroes Mural plan on continuing painting the mural in Ramos' honor. They have also set up a crowdfunding page to help Ramos' family with funeral costs. You can donate to the fund here.
RELATED: Amnesty International commissions mural to draw attention to violence in Mexico:
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