echito: independence day

first time in a few years i spent it on eldridge. i've been either out of the country or out in coney island. still working on the easter work stopped the first, the weather stopped the second.

after some pushing from e this weekend i decided i had to go and photograph the kids who's friend was shot. over the past week i had dropped off some pictures to them, but thats not the same as pointing a camera at them. i mustered up enough courage to walk up there with my (recently repaired, yippee) camera.

they were letting off fireworks. smelled like my childhood. rarely get that aroma, since gulliani outlawed it them years ago. it was the start of a worldwide trend.

for the most part the guys hanging around were pretty nice to me. they were having fun again. i snapped a slew of pictures. some of them got r.i.p tattoos in rememberence, that is solidarity. there are still some who think i am f.b.i or something.

i had noticed a squad car as i was walking up and warned some of the kids who were lighting up. i hope i got one shot of them and the fireworks, but i do so bad with that stuff. in just 10 minutes, undercover cops show up and take one of the kids aside.

the rain started to come down, but the "official" fireworks started up. the officers held him there for half an hour.

he was set free without being charged.