Spotlight on the Fellows: Jacqueline DelPilar

Jacqueline Delpilar reports on guns in America at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Photo by: Jacob Byk

Name: Jacqueline DelPilar, John and Patty Williams Fellow

School: University of Tennessee

Style of reporting: Broadcast

Previous internship or work experience: News Channel 5 in Nashville, Scripps Howard Foundation Wire in Washington, D.C., and WATE 6 news in Knoxville

Favorite reporting experience: Reporting from the White House

Connect with me: @jsdelpilar

Website: jacquelinedelpilar.com

Favorite app: Instagram.

What we’re reading: Week 9

By Jessica Boehm

NRA launches push to register voters with suggestive ad (Sean Sullivan, The Washington Post, 7/23) The National Rifle Association released an ad encouraging pro-gun Americans to register to vote.

People keep trying to sneak guns into the US Capitol (John Parkinson, ABC News, 7/23) For the second time this week someone tried to carry a gun into the Capitol.

Despite rhetoric, gun prosecutions plummet under Obama (Kelly Riddell, The Washington Times, 7/23) A data analysis shows that the Justice Department has prosecuted 25 percent fewer cases regarding gun violence than in the final year of the Bush administration.

Personal protection, not hunting, is now No. 1 reason Americans own guns (Debbie Bryce, Idaho State Journal, 7/23) As the number of justifiable homicides continues to increase, personal protection has surpassed hunting as the top reason to own a gun.

Jessica Boehm is a News21 Hearst Fellow.

Horsemanship as an alternative to gun violence

Reverend William King speaks about his horsemanship organization, Project RIDE, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jon Laflamme

By Claudia Balthazar

Horse maintenance is a hard job but can be rewarding when you master the skill of riding the beast, says Reverend William King of Baton Rouge. Through his organization Ride Into Deep Entertainment, also known as Project RIDE, King teaches inner city youth the values of horsemanship.

“The kids learn how to do social skills that most kids don’t know how to do from the inner-city,” he said. Through Project RIDE, King and his family teach youth how to wash horses, landscape, deal with computers. King says violence is a growing problem in Baton Rouge, and Project RIDE gives youths an alternative to violence.

“If you get kids involved in wholesome activities and teach them to read the Bible, [they’ll know that] they should not kill their brothers and they should not kill their sisters,” King said.

“I put kids to work. I give them money to do chores… We give kids opportunities they probably don’t get in the inner-city.” He added, “It’s really difficult for kids to change their atmosphere because they want to make quick money.”

King says Project RIDE is funded by donations because single parents may not be able to afford the program “I don’t do it because I’m a minister. I do it because it’s the right thing to do,” he added.

“The community needs to get involved because there’s a lot of single parents out there. You got a lot of guns in the home and the men are not there. The church is going to have to step up to the plate.”

Churches, fraternities and sororities, and community groups- should get involved in the fight against inner city gun violence, he said.

“We’ve got to keep trying. It’s an everyday fight.”

Two years later, Aurora shooting survivor moves forward

By Robby Korth

DENVER – It wasn’t just the two bullets that tore through Marcus Weaver’s shoulder that changed his life after the Aurora movie theater shooting.

Sure, they had to work their way out of his arm, which still occasionally goes numb and requires doctor’s visits to this day. But recovering from the images and the wound of having a friend die right next to him turned him instantly into a victim.

Two years later, thanks to his wife Megan Sharp-Weaver and a big dog named Frank, Weaver says he is no longer a victim.

“I realized I’m a survivor,” Weaver said at his Denver apartment. “You made it through this. You see what the blessings are because your life was spared on the floor of that theater.

“It’s a miracle that I’m even talking today.”

Coping with the shooting has become easier, but as the anniversary approaches the calls from reporters increase. Dark thoughts come flooding back.

Late at night, when Weaver struggles to sleep because of nightmares, he’ll talk to his wife or take Frank for a walk.

“Just like my arm, we’re gonna be OK,” Weaver said. “We’re going to move forward through this … Aurora was just another shot in the arm for Colorado.

“We are moving forward as a community.”

Robby Korth is a News21 Peter Kiewet Fellow.

What we’re reading: Week 8

By Jessica Boehm

Michael Bloomberg’s not afraid of the NRA (Simon Vozick-Levinson, 7/08, Rolling Stone) In an interview with Rolling Stone, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg talks about the gun lobby and his continued fight to prevent gun violence.

House votes to limit DC from enforcing gun laws (Cristina Marcos, 7/16, The Hill) The House passed a proposal to prohibit federal funding to enforce DC’s handgun ban and other gun laws.

Gabby Giffords touts first-ever Senate hearing on guns and domestic violence (Laura Bassett, 7/16, Huffington Post) At former Congresswoman Giffords urging, the Judiciary committee will conduct a hearing on domestic violence and guns on July 30.

Ex-ASU QB Andrew Walter offers booze, cigars and guns in exchange for campaign donations (Fredreka Schouten, 7/15, USA Today) An Arizona house candidate is hosting an “Evening of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms” to raise money for his campaign.

Six members of Stay Family mourned at Texas funeral (Gabe Gutierrez, Tracy Connor and Deborah Strauss, NBC News) A Houston man is accused of killing six members of his ex-wife’s family. Only a 15-year old girl survived the attack.

Jessica Boehm is a News21 Hearst Fellow.