Wear Orange for Amarr

wear orange 2025

I #WearOrange on National Gun Violence Awareness Day today to honor survivors and bring attention to this crisis that steals 125 lives and wounds over 200 more each day. Learn more at wearorange.org. 

I will wear orange today because it is one year since Garfield High School student, Amarr Murphy-Paine, was murdered on the steps of his school in broad daylight. His murderer has not been identified by anyone, even as there were witnesses.

There's a story in the Times this morning.

A year later, no arrests have been made, the public doesn’t know the identity of Murphy-Paine’s killer and the school district is still trying to figure out how to make students safer.

Ah, the public doesn't know the identity but I suspect the police have some good ideas but they either can't find the guy OR they need help. 

They did talk to and quote several times, Sebrena Burr, co-president of the SCPTA:

Burr said there needs to be a big-picture safety plan coming from a higher level to tackle gun violence in schools. It’s a probability, she said, that Murphy-Paine’s killer was a student at Seattle Public Schools.

“We have to take responsibility,” Burr said. “We’re pointing our finger at them, but what is the root cause that they feel like they need a gun for power (or) protection?”

I hear and applaud that. But I really wish the story had included anyone from the community asking kids to please talk to police. It didn't.

Pita Moi Moi, a Garfield senior, met Amarr Murphy-Paine when the two played on a football team before high school. Murphy-Paine was someone who “would light up a room” and was funny and personable — he would go from talking smack about you to complimenting you, to telling you how your performance on the team could improve.

Moi Moi and a few of his classmates began working on a documentary film, “True Dawgs.” They wanted to tell their story about Garfield, about the Central District, about their friend. With help from the Seattle nonprofit AHSHAY, which is focused on building community for youth and ending youth incarceration. They plan to finish the film this summer.

The film’s goal: “Guide the youth. Stop gun violence. Keep love in the community,” Moi Moi said.

On Friday, which is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, students will hold a field day and community celebration of life to mark one year since Murphy-Paine was killed.