MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee man who survived being shot is working to bring awareness to communities all across the nation.
Claude Motley was shot in the jaw nine years ago by a then-15-year-old. It happened during an attempted car jacking on Milwaukee’s north side.
Since the shooting, he’s been sharing his story and raising awareness about the impact of gun violence.
Motley was attending his 25th high school reunion the night of the shooting. He was dropping a friend off at home afterward when the shooting happened.
He said he didn’t realize at the time he was being targeted.
“I put the car in gear and that’s when the guy jumped out, tapped on the window with the gun and shot into the car as I was taking off,” said Motley. “I was fortunate enough to get away and didn't realize that I was shot through the jaw.”
Although it’s a painful memory, he’s using his personal journey to help advocate against gun violence.
“My story is one of hundreds of stories we unfortunately suffer not just in the city, but across this nation,” said Motley.
Ten surgeries later, he considers himself a walking miracle.
His experience was documented in a PBS documentary called “When Claude Got Shot.” It won an Emmy in 2022.
Motley said ironically, the teen tried to carjack a woman the very next day. He said the teen was then shot in self-defense.
The teen was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for his crimes.
The documentary was filmed by 371 productions. It shares the experiences of all the people impacted.
Together, they’ve launched a restorative justice campaign where they go across the country to show the film and to help share and hear from others who are or were impacted by gun violence.
The documentary shows his experience from the day of shooting through his recovery. It even includes a face-to-face meeting between him and the young man who shot him.
He said the decision to sit and talk with his shooter came about after he felt compelled to forgive him and help other youth who find themselves in his shoes.
He didn’t want to live his life in a constant state of anger.
“On the other side of that violence is another person and another family,” he said.
He said he started an impact campaign to go out and show the film and talk to people about his experience and journey thus far.
“At certain points in time you have to start dealing with how lucky you are and how blessed you are to be saved,” said Motley. “Another centimeter in the other direction and I could have been dead.”
He wants others to know about the ripple effect gun violence has on communities. He said it’s important to address the root issues such as generational trauma, poverty, lack of community resources and access to mental health support. He said these all play a part in the ongoing violence we see in our communities.
He’s hoping to provide a pathway to healing and restorative justice to many more who have been impacted by gun violence.
“To conquer this, it’s not just learning about a tragic situation, absorbing it and getting callous to what’s happening,” he said. “We have to get involved.”
Motley said he will continue sharing his story, hoping to spark change, one person at a time.
To learn more about Motley’s story, visit https://whenclaudegotshot.org/.