Pieces of the Puzzle: A Community-Led Approach to Reducing Gun Violence in America
About the Film
Pieces of the Puzzle is a powerful documentary following Marcus McAllister—a former justice-impacted youth turned national leader in community violence intervention (CVI)—as he travels the U.S. to train and spotlight Everytown Community Safety Fund grantees as they reshape public safety and reduce gun violence in cities nationwide. As Marcus visits grantees across the country, we witness what real community safety looks like:
- Frontline practitioners engaging with the people and places where violence occurs to prevent further harm.
- Black women holding neighborhoods together through grief and resilience.
- Formerly incarcerated men turning pain into purpose.
- Hospital staff intervening at critical, life-or-death moments.
- Faith leaders offering clarity and hope in times of crisis.
Directed by two-time Emmy Award winner Santana Coleman and produced by the Everytown Community Safety Fund, a program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, the film showcases the human stories behind a proven solution: community-based violence intervention.
From Cleveland to Charleston, Birmingham to Baltimore, Louisville to Seattle, and Chicago to LA, Pieces of the Puzzle reveals how our grantees—including prevention workers, health practitioners, faith leaders, returning citizens, and women survivors—bring lived experience and unwavering dedication to saving lives.
The Subject
This film follows Everytown Community Safety Fund advisory board member Marcus McAllister—a former justice-impacted youth who has transformed his pain into purpose—as he travels the country training and supporting Everytown Community Safety Fund grantees. Marcus is a nationally known speaker, consultant, and expert in the field of CVI. As a founding advisory board member of the Everytown Community Safety Fund, Marcus has trained 55 grantees since the Fund’s launch in 2019. Today, Marcus trains and supports violence prevention programs nationwide, leveraging his expertise, decades of experience, and hands-on training as CEO of McAllister Consulting and Training.
“Not only are we saving the lives of people out there through our relationships, the work is saving our lives.”
—Marcus McAllister
The Director
Santana Coleman, the two-time Emmy Award-winning director of Pieces of the Puzzle, is dedicated to reshaping cultural narratives through impactful storytelling. With a passion for crafting stories that resonate deeply and inspire meaningful change, her journey includes co-producing and impact-producing the Emmy Award-winning documentary When Claude Got Shot, as well as field producing the Emmy Award-winning docu-series Two American Families: 1991-2024. Santana’s commitment to connecting stories with audiences and fostering dialogue has been integral to the success of her work.
The Producer
The Everytown Community Safety Fund, a program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, produced Pieces of the Puzzle to highlight the essential role CVI leaders play in preventing gun violence. The film amplifies the voices of our grantees—those closest to the pain and power of community violence—who have contributed to a historic decline in gun violence. It demonstrates that by investing in community leadership, we can break cycles of harm and build a safer, more just future.
As one of the largest national CVI grant programs, Everytown has supported 136 organizations across 69 cities at the time of filming, providing grants, capacity-building, and advocacy support. This documentary affirms Everytown’s commitment to these leaders by amplifying their stories and mobilizing deeper public and institutional support for community-based violence prevention.
Supporting CVI
In 2024, homicides declined by an average of 18% in 277 U.S. cities. As an Advisory Board member of the Everytown Community Safety Fund, Marcus McAllister has trained 55 grantees to strengthen their programs and build staff capacity. These programs have helped contribute to violence declines—though both these programs and their progress remain at risk. After watching Pieces of the Puzzle:
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Send a note of support to our grantees and staff to encourage them in their CVI work.
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Where to Watch
Pieces of the Puzzle premiered at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival and will continue screening at select venues nationwide ahead of its public release here. Watch the trailer at the top of this page and check back soon for upcoming screening dates.