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**gblowfish** · 09-19-2018, 10:43 AM

One of my very best friends is a well known musician in St. Louis. He's been working on a new album, and the guy who plays piano on several of the tracks is a guy named Tom Townsend. Tom and my friend worked in St. Louis advertising together for 20 plus years. Anyway, Tom just did the piano tracks last week. Tuesday morning he was carjacked and shot in the face near Forest Park. He's in Barnes Hospital in critical condition.

I've never met Tom, but I've heard my friend talk about him a lot over the years. The guy is a saint. Literally a saint. He started a music scholarship program at Savannah Arts College after his 21 year old son was killed in a car accident down there. And in St. Louis, he started a foundation "Pianos for People" that acquires old pianos, fixes them up, and gifts them to poor kids who couldn't afford one otherwise, and gives the kids free piano lessons.

Why good people like this get shot in the face is something I'll never understand. There is just so much evil in the world. Please put in a good word for Tom and for my friend. Hopefully he'll live through this.

Story is here:

ST. LOUIS • A man who founded a nonprofit that brings pianos to families who might not otherwise be able to afford them was shot early Tuesday in an apparent carjacking attempt, police and a colleague said.

The man suffered a critical injury and may need reconstructive surgery to his face.

Sheena Duncan, executive director of Pianos for People, identified the victim as the nonprofit’s founder, Tom Townsend.

Townsend was shot in the neck just after midnight Monday while he was in the 700 block of South Skinker Boulevard, police said. He told police he was shot while someone tried to carjack his 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Because he was so badly injured, he couldn’t give officers any more information, police said.

He was taken to a hospital, and Duncan said family believe he will need to remain there for at least two weeks and undergo surgery.

“He works so tirelessly to break down barriers and create opportunities, so for him to be a victim of senseless violence is so tragic,” Duncan said.

Townsend founded Pianos for People in 2012 in memory of his son Alex, a talented pianist who was killed in a car accident at 21.

Pianos for People refurbishes old pianos and gives them away, and also provides free lessons and workshops to more than 200 young students at locations in south St. Louis and in Ferguson. The nonprofit also hosts music camps for children.

“(Townsend is) a bundle of energy and a positive life force,” Duncan said. “He’s a talented musician who has also had a successful career in advertising, (and) he’s a man on the go constantly who shows interest and compassion that knows no bounds. He’s extraordinary, and we’re devastated that he’s having to go through such a thing.”

Duncan said that anyone wanting to show support for Townsend can make a donation to his nonprofit at pianosforpeople.org.

The scene of the shooting isn’t far from the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, where a spate of crimes involving guns has compelled administrators to email parents to remind them of security measures in place to protect students.

On Sunday, armed suspects approached a student and demanded his car keys in the 5900 block of Waterman Boulevard. Last Wednesday, a shooting took place at the Delmar Loop Transit Center, where two people were injured

09-19-2018, 10:43 AM	Topic Starter
gblowfish Be Kind To Your Pets gblowfish's Avatar Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Glorious Independence, MO	When Gun Violence Strikes Close to Home One of my very best friends is a well known musician in St. Louis. He's been working on a new album, and the guy who plays piano on several of the tracks is a guy named Tom Townsend. Tom and my friend worked in St. Louis advertising together for 20 plus years. Anyway, Tom just did the piano tracks last week. Tuesday morning he was carjacked and shot in the face near Forest Park. He's in Barnes Hospital in critical condition. I've never met Tom, but I've heard my friend talk about him a lot over the years. The guy is a saint. Literally a saint. He started a music scholarship program at Savannah Arts College after his 21 year old son was killed in a car accident down there. And in St. Louis, he started a foundation "Pianos for People" that acquires old pianos, fixes them up, and gifts them to poor kids who couldn't afford one otherwise, and gives the kids free piano lessons. Why good people like this get shot in the face is something I'll never understand. There is just so much evil in the world. Please put in a good word for Tom and for my friend. Hopefully he'll live through this. Story is here: ST. LOUIS • A man who founded a nonprofit that brings pianos to families who might not otherwise be able to afford them was shot early Tuesday in an apparent carjacking attempt, police and a colleague said. The man suffered a critical injury and may need reconstructive surgery to his face. Sheena Duncan, executive director of Pianos for People, identified the victim as the nonprofit’s founder, Tom Townsend. Townsend was shot in the neck just after midnight Monday while he was in the 700 block of South Skinker Boulevard, police said. He told police he was shot while someone tried to carjack his 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Because he was so badly injured, he couldn’t give officers any more information, police said. He was taken to a hospital, and Duncan said family believe he will need to remain there for at least two weeks and undergo surgery. “He works so tirelessly to break down barriers and create opportunities, so for him to be a victim of senseless violence is so tragic,” Duncan said. Townsend founded Pianos for People in 2012 in memory of his son Alex, a talented pianist who was killed in a car accident at 21. Pianos for People refurbishes old pianos and gives them away, and also provides free lessons and workshops to more than 200 young students at locations in south St. Louis and in Ferguson. The nonprofit also hosts music camps for children. “(Townsend is) a bundle of energy and a positive life force,” Duncan said. “He’s a talented musician who has also had a successful career in advertising, (and) he’s a man on the go constantly who shows interest and compassion that knows no bounds. He’s extraordinary, and we’re devastated that he’s having to go through such a thing.” Duncan said that anyone wanting to show support for Townsend can make a donation to his nonprofit at pianosforpeople.org. The scene of the shooting isn’t far from the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, where a spate of crimes involving guns has compelled administrators to email parents to remind them of security measures in place to protect students. On Sunday, armed suspects approached a student and demanded his car keys in the 5900 block of Waterman Boulevard. Last Wednesday, a shooting took place at the Delmar Loop Transit Center, where two people were injured Last edited by gblowfish; 09-19-2018 at 10:58 AM..
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