NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans trumpeter is offering kids trumpets in exchange for guns. Shamarr Allen tells news agencies that he has a 9-year-old son and started the project last week, the day after a 9-year-old boy was shot and killed. He says the trumpet changed his life when he was 12 or 13 and started playing for tips in the French Quarter — and he wants to give other kids a chance. An online fundraiser went more than one-third over its $6,500 goal in four days. Allen says several musicians have agreed to offer free virtual lessons to kids who get the trumpets.
For more information about the “Trumpet is My Weapon” fundraiser, visit gofundme.com. For more information about Shamarr Allen, visit shamarrallen.com.
