Documentary will probe Newark schoolyard murders’ toll on family

Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J.

For what seemed a small eternity, Shalga Hightower epitomized the picture of parental grief in the aftermath of Newark’s 2007 schoolyard killings, when a group of men and boys, including one who turned 15 that day, lined up her college-bound daughter and two friends and shot them each in the back of the head.

As national media held Newark up as a symbol of the gun violence plaguing American cities, Hightower became an unwavering presence at the dozens of court proceedings that followed. Her courtroom vigil stretched nearly six years, long after the initial crush of attention subsided.

The overpowering sorrow that engulfed her has eased over time, but Hightower’s determination to honor her daughter’s memory has not. Recently, she embarked on a documentary film project that highlights the struggle of families victimized by gun violence, through the prism of her own experience.

That experience included losing a job because of absences to attend court hearings, an emotional breakdown and temporary homelessness when she was unable to pay rent. She and her two children were forced to split up for a time and live with friends or co-workers, and even spent time in a shelter.

The documentary is being produced by Charmil Davis, a longtime TV journalist based in Washington, D.C., but raised in central New Jersey. Her own brush with gun violence — she once was robbed at gunpoint — helped pique her interest when she saw some of Hightower’s Facebook posts.

Production on the documentary could be completed by mid-summer, Davis said.