By Reynauld Harris

Imagine for a moment being shot in the head. To have a red hot metal slug tear through your flesh, pierce your skull, and rip an obscene path through your brain – all in less time than it takes to blink. Your life, should you be fortunate enough to retain it, is forever changed. A more traumatic experience can hardly be conceived.
Yet, that is exactly what happened to young Broderick Bell, six years old at the time, whose only transgression was being in the wrong place at the wrong time on June 9, 1993. Surely, only the most hardened criminal or heartless sociopath would perpetrate such an act. The shooter, however, as related by witnesses, was another child, a teenager, emulating scenarios from our society, both real and simulated. Both kids may be seen as victims of a world that too often comes up short in providing the structure and guidance young people so desperately require. And, in an example of the convoluted “justice” all too common in our world, the perpetrator is still free, while the victim pays forever.
This was but one of the sad incidents of children shooting children that shaped the headlines of local papers during the appropriately named “Summer of Violence” of 1993, when Northeast Denver neighborhoods were terrorized by roving street gangs. They called Denver “Little L. A.,” and it was Deadwood, Dodge City, and Tombstone of the Old West all rolled into one. Lead was flying, and people were ducking; some, obviously, not quickly enough. As the gangs battled, adults debated, while the innocent victims, as usual, paid the price.
But with the falling of this young man, sanity finally prevailed, galvanizing the city government and the community into activating the reticent wheels of change. One is left to wonder why it must always take, as Bell’s mother Ollie Marie Phason said, “A sacrificial lamb.”
Five days after being shot down in the street, after being placed in a drug-induced coma to control the swelling of his brain, Broderick Bell woke up. His mother termed it “a miracle.” This was one lamb that would survive the slaughter.

Today, Bell exhibits limited paralysis on his left side and still carries a part of the bullet in his brain. Yet, despite these challenges, he will be graduating from Gateway High School on schedule on May 19. He loves writing and public speaking. Consequently, his favorite subjects are English and speech. He plans to open a summer camp to teach kids to drive. He will attend Community College of Aurora in the fall, eventually transferring to Metro State to pursue a Master’s degree in psychology. He plans to someday open his own business. When asked how he sees himself in 10 years, he replied, “as a successful Black man.” There is no trace of temerity or self-doubt in his manner or voice. To the contrary, this is an articulate young man with an air of confidence, determination, and resolve uncommon for one his age.
His mother is understandably proud. “He is so dedicated, and I know he will make a fine young man. This is just the beginning of where he is going,” she said. And regarding the support received from the community throughout the years, Phason, her voice swelling with emotion, said, “On behalf of my family, I want to thank everybody. I feel so happy when I realize how blessed we are.”
Yet she is as concerned that it had to take her son being shot to curtail the violence then, as she is about recent budget cuts signaling a complacency that could pave the way for more violence today. She urges the powers-that-be to restore the funding for programs that channel the energies of youth into productive activities.
This is an inspiring story, first, as testimony to the spunk, endurance, and character exhibited by Broderick Bell and his family, and, second, as evidence that family, community and government can work together to triumph over adversity. We, as a society cannot afford to forget the lesson learned here. We must never underestimate the importance of remaining vigilant, of being nurturing and responsible toward our youth. Fail to do that, and, as we have seen, the forces of violence and insanity are all too eager to fill the void.