Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — The friends and family of the late Rory Swimm know how to turn a positive out of the worst kind of negative.
Swimm, 23, was with his friends Jimmy Ludford and Will Griffith on Oct. 13, 2023. They were walking around downtown Salt Lake City in the early morning hours when he was shot and killed by a teenager.
His older brother, Scott Swimm, was in Scotland when he heard the news. His sister, mother and friends were understandably upset. But never bitter, they all looked forward.
Griffith said he had to move past thoughts of, "why him and not me?" and "look at the positives and see what we can create to help teenagers know there are ways to look at the positive instead of the negative. That's definitely a way to honor Rory."
On Sunday, friends and family members are planning to meet at the site where the interaction between Rory Swimm and the teenager began. He was killed a few blocks away from there. They will then head over to Vans Sports Commission Skatepark at the Utah State Fairpark, where many teenagers spend their time.
The public is welcome to join in the festivities, which are intended to foster kindness and understanding among teens through sports, music and art.
"We're hoping this will be a time to honor Rory, but also to reach some young people ... teach them you don't have to go down that violent path," said Scott Swimm. "Maybe this will make someone move in the right direction and we can create community."
You can't be walking around and get killed by a 15-year-old. We can't be fine with that.
–Susan Swimm
During the last year, Susan Swimm, Rory's mother, has used the planning of various events and projects to process her son's murder. Originally from Scotland, where Rory was born, she has learned more than she wanted to know about guns in her time in the United States. But that hasn't stopped her from seeing possibilities for a more peaceful world.
She, other family members and her son's friends have created an organization, the Reckless Beauty Foundation, to aid in making the world a better place. They see the time at the skatepark as the beginning of work needed to decrease violence and division while increasing hope and change for a better world.
"Our family has been shattered because of (Rory's murder). The repercussions are massive and have impacted at least 50 people," Susan Swimm said. "I'm not a complacent person. I'm not the type of person who will sit back and say, 'Well, that's the way it is.' No, I want to know if there is any way to make some good. You can't be walking around and get killed by a 15-year-old. We can't be fine with that."
Sunday will be a success if at least one person comes to the skate park and leaves with a sense of hope about their future, organizers said. They plan to skate at the park and talk to others who come by about not following the path of violence.
"We have to show people that you can be with people who are different than you and have fun," Ludford said. "You don't have to choose violence and be mean to other people. You can be a skater and have fun."
