A month after an artist was shot and killed while working on an anti-violence mural in Oakland, California, volunteers have completed the painting on an underpass.
Antonio Ramos, 27, was one of 10 artists who were working on the project when he reportedly quarreled with a man on 29 September. Police said the disagreement escalated, and the man shot Ramos before running off.
Other artists stepped forward to complete the work, and on Wednesday night about 200 people attended a ceremony to unveil the completed work and dedicate it to Ramos.
“How many walls do we have to paint for this to stop?” his brother Leano Rice asked, according to NBC.
“This mural is dedicated to Antonio Ramos, who was killed as one of our public artists helping to manifest this mission,” said Amana Harris, executive director of the attitudinal healing connection of Oakland.
“We love you Antonio. We love you from the bottom of our hearts. For your sacrifice, you have made this work shine beyond our wildest dreams.”
Oakland police are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Ramos’s killer.
West #Oakland: Neighborhood kids pose at mural unveiled today in memory of slain artist #AntonioRamos pic.twitter.com/S2PFox6rnm
— David DeBolt (@daviddebolt) October 22, 2015
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
