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Allegheny County Artist Adds Personal Touch To Anti-Violence Mural In Homewood

HOMEWOOD, Pa. (KDKA) -- A local artist is picking up his paintbrush in hopes people will put their weapons down.

Kyle Holbrook is all too familiar with violent crime.

"I lost 45 friends, 15 in one year," he said.

Homewood mural
(Photo Credit: KDKA)

Holbrook painted new images on the "Peace Over Pittsburgh" mural on North Homewood Avenue. A red stop sign that says "Stop gun violence" and a white dove were painted next to the stairs leading up the busway.

"I've lost so many more friends," Holbrook said, "some of my best friends growing up. So many people I had memories with growing up. And now the young generation just keeps on this gun violence."

The mural is blocks away from where two shootings happened recently, including one that injured a 6-year-old child.

Holbrook made the mural tall enough to catch the eye and low enough to capture a selfie.

"People are taking selfies all the time and taking pictures of themselves. Now let's do a selfie with a message behind it. And that way the message will keep getting passed along," Holbrook said.

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