Skating event will honor young man killed in Salt Lake City last year
Oct 10, 2024, 7:00 AM
Rory Swimm was killed on Oct. 13, 2023, near downtown Salt Lake City. Friends and family will gather on the 1-year anniversary of his death to celebrate his life with skateboarding fun. (GoFundMe)
(GoFundMe)
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.”
Please read the complete story, and more from Ivy Farguheson, at KSL.com.
