Philadelphia filmmakers spotlight local gun violence on PBS [Video]

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Ethan Rodriguez is still haunted by disturbing images of gun violence he saw growing up in Kensington, a Philly neighborhood often described as “the Badlands.” The 21-year-old remembers walking home from school and watching a group of men argue. The altercation escalated, and then he heard gunshots.

“I remember just picking up the pace and not looking back, and just trying to, like, get off of that block,” Rodriguez said. “It was very scary having that happen on the other side of the street.”

After moving to the suburbs to study journalism at Arcadia University, he discovered that not everyone grows up surrounded by violence, which compelled him to share his story through filmmaking. Rodriguez and 13 other student journalists from five states collaborated on the PBS News Student Reporting Labs documentary “Run, Hide, Fight: Growing Up Under the Gun.”

“It was …