'The Wire' star Anwan 'Big G' Glover opens-up about his son’s murder at DC Peace Academy graduation

WASHINGTON - A hometown celebrity, "The Wire" actor and "Backyard Band’s" Anwan Glover opened up about the loss he’s suffered, sharing his story with the D.C. Peace Academy’s second Violence Interrupter graduating class. 

Speaking through his pain, he encouraged the group to keep going through the difficult days in their work to end gun violence. 

Glover spoke one-on-one afterward, in a first interview with FOX 5 since the August murder of his 29-year-old son, Kavon Glover. The older Glover says his filming and music are his therapy, but he is still planning to speak with a therapist about it.

"My whole family’s gone now. I have no siblings, nothing," said Glover, whose mother passed just a few months before his son was murdered.

There was no holding back tears as Glover talked about the impact of gun violence on his life and family. He described his son Kavon as a loving father.

"I just talked to my granddaughter, it was her birthday on the 5th of December. And first thing she was like, ‘Pop-Pop, my Daddy’s sleeping too long. Can you wake him up?’ And that crushed me. Because you know, I’ve been dealing with violence and death since I was a kid," said Glover.

Glover, also known as "Big G," used his life experience as an example, trying to encourage others to turn away from the streets and gun violence. He spoke of how in his own lifetime, he was shot over a dozen times, starting when he was just 12 years old.

During his Tuesday remarks, Glover also encouraged everyone fighting with a loved one to make it right because you never know when you’ll see that person again.

Glover’s son was one of several people killed during a violent weekend last August in neighboring Prince George’s County. Police found the 29-year-old’s body shot on William Beanes Road in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The younger Glover had some issues in the past.

 "A lot of times, kids, they have their own secret lives. You know what I mean? I just talked to him that night and then I got the call that morning saying he was gone. And to be honest with you, I don’t even really want to know because I’ve got to keep going on – I’ve got to be strong for his daughter and his siblings," said Glover.

Prince George’s County Police are still actively investigating the case.

Glover's speech to the D.C. Peace Academy graduating class hammered on the importance of not just reaching youth, but making sure they have positive support and a real understanding.

"The consequences they have to suffer like a wheelchair, penitentiary for the rest of your life, death, the cemetery, a lot of them don’t understand what death is until it hits your front door," he said.

On the topic of youth violence, D.C. Police told FOX 5 that as of Dec. 2, 2022, 18 juveniles had been killed – the highest number of juveniles killed the city has seen in the past four years.  

During the graduation ceremony, those in attendance celebrated that the District’s homicide rate was down 10% as of Tuesday. While an improvement, it is also important to note the 197 murders investigated so far this year is still more murders seen in D.C. than most previous years, going back to the mid-2000s.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also attended the graduation.

"I was watching the video and thinking to myself, ‘What does peace mean to me? What does peace look like for me?’ and I always go back to the young people – and what it looks like for me is every young person in D.C. feeling loved, safe and protected. If they feel loved, safe and protected, they’ll probably go to school. If they feel loved, safe and protected, they probably won’t carry a gun," said the Mayor.

D.C. Peace Academy was founded by Roger Marmet, whose 22-year-old son was killed by a stray bullet in the District. Tom Marmet worked as a social worker.

Marmet began "Peace for D.C.", which has partnered with the city to run the academy and provide specialized training to violence interruption workers, who are tasked with saving lives.

Glover told FOX 5 he is also working on a documentary about his life that he hopes will also impact others to turn away from gun violence.