Explore The First Murder

Read About This Image Taken by the Photographer Weegee

“A woman relative cried... but neighborhood dead-end kids enjoyed the show when a small-time racketeer was shot and killed,” wrote Weegee in the caption accompanying this startling photograph in his 1945 publication Naked City. On the facing page, Weegee showed the murdered body lying in the street.

The children who had witnessed this violent scene are captured in an unsettling mix of human emotion and self-absorption as they connect with the camera in the face of horror. Some are laughing, while others stare in disbelief or look into the camera to grab their own brief chance to be recorded. Two women are among the group. One, whom Weegee mentioned, stands at the center with her face contorted with anguished tears, while her personal loss turns into public spectacle.

Questions

Write or discuss your responses.

• What do you see happening in this photograph?

• Do you think everyone in the group is reacting to the same thing? How can you tell?

• What do you think they are reacting to that we cannot see within the framing of this photograph?

• How do you react when in front of a camera?

• How do we respond today when we hear about or see violent incidents?