Breaking the Cycle of Violence

“I think the more we tell our stories, the more we give others the permission to tell theirs,” says William Kellibrew, president and spokesman of the William Kellibrew Foundation. “That helps break the silence and moves people to act.”

William has been moved to speak out and act because of his tragedy. William’s mother and brother were shot in front of him when he was a young boy. The shooter turned to William, placing the gun to his head. William begged for his life and was let go. After a nearly three-hour standoff, police entered to find three bodies, including the killer’s. The shooter was a convicted felon who had spent 11 years in prison, but illegally got his hands on a gun.

The William Kellibrew Foundation is dedicated to helping victims of gun violence and domestic violence find their voices and restore their lives. The Brady Campaign and Brady Center are honored to house the Foundation in its Washington, DC office.The Foundation’s partnership with the Brady Campaign extends beyond shared office space. William’s speaking tours take him around the country, and at every stop, he helps to educate people about the Brady Campaign’s legislative agenda to enact stronger gun laws.

William has told his story countless times – both here in the United States and abroad. He has been a guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which has 40 million viewers across the globe. Just recently, he was the keynote speaker at an event sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Along with Brady President Paul Helmke, he joined a press event and rally after four young people were killed and five others injured, where they urged Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty to do more to stop gun violence. Ironically, at the same time D.C. activists were at the rally, U.S. Senators John McCain and Jon Tester offered legislation to gut all of D.C.’s gun laws. William and the Brady Campaign believe that it would be foolhardy to make it easier for dangerous people to get guns and will work to stop this dangerous legislation.

No matter how frequently he tells the story, it never gets easier to tell. William admits, “It’s a treacherous story, and has been a long road to recovery. I have to live with it every day, but it’s motivational for me and those who hear it. For those who can do it, using their story to channel grief to more positive actions is incredibly effective.”