Artwork helps honor the life of 5-year-old shooting victim

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/artwork-helps-honor-the-life-of--year-old-shooting/article_eb7c2880-8a2c-5d98-898a-bff93ebd63b4.html




REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD
Tabatha Manning, front, and artist Gabrielle Gaines-Liwaru embrace after a painting of Manning’s daughter, Payton Benson, is unveiled.

Payton Benson’s innocent features — her brown eyes, her closed-mouth smile and her hair in braids — were memorialized in a painting called “Release the Peace,” displayed Sunday evening at a celebration of her life.

Instead of Payton in her polka-dot dress — from the photo many saw after the 5-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet in January — she was depicted as an angel in white releasing a dove.

The work was revealed to nearly 100 people who gathered on the warm October Sunday evening to celebrate what would have been Payton’s 6th birthday.

“I added another picture to Payton’s collection,” said her mother, Tabatha Manning. “I’ll never be able to take another picture again. That’s the last picture of her.”



REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD

Payton Benson’s mother, Tabatha Manning, kneels in prayer between two of her children — Xavier Benson, 4, left, and Latrelle Benson, 7 — during a celebration of Payton’s life on the day that would have been her 6th birthday. The girl was killed by a stray bullet.

FULL story at link.

REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD

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