Summer of the Gun

Crime scene A neighbor looks over the bloody clothes of a 7-year-old who was shot in a triple shooting. The boy survived, but is recovering from serious injuries.

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano

Grieving woman Dominique holds a photo of her late brother, Davon Ockimey, 26, who was killed July 2.

"I try to pull these people out of their landscapes and show them in a more human light," J.M. Giordano says.

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano

Suspect This woman was arrested at the scene where a 7-year-old was shot. Police would not say if she was involved in the shooting.

"I love the shadows on the wall," Giordano says of the photograph.

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano

Crying woman Mary Davis, family friend of 26-year-old Davon Ockimey, grieves after he was fatally shot in the chest in the 4200 block of Pimlico Road.

"She was crying and she didn't stop me, so I kept shooting," Giordano says.

He called her a week later to check up on her and Ockimey's family. They invited Giordano to the funeral.

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano

Fainting woman A woman faints when she hears that one of the men involved in a shooting was her son.

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano

Wayne Fourteen-year-old Wayne is a resident of the South Baltimore neighborhood where a man was shot in the neck.

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano

Goodbye kiss Since starting the "Summer of the Gun" series, Giordano has been approached by Al-Jazeera, WAMU and The Baltimore Sun. Despite the media attention, Giordano says the violence continues and Baltimore remains captive.

"The cops are stretched so thin," Giordano says. "I don't know if any of this matters whatsoever."

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano

Forgotten shoes "They always leave behind shoes," Giordano says of crime scenes.

Hats and jackets are also removed when someone is put on a stretcher. This is a photo of those remains.

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano

Gunshot Montae Higgins, 20, was killed July 15 in Irvington. Giordano says this crime scene was especially challenging when he found himself inside a courtyard, with no police presence and no outsiders around.

"I was the only white guy, and people just started talking to me, asking me where I worked."

Eventually, the crowd relaxed and Giordano was able to get some shots.

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano

Lone officer "I try to find out the name of the victim first," Giordano says. "It beats asking 'How do you know the victim' or something impersonal like that."

(Courtesy J.M. Giordano)

Courtesy J.M. Giordano