Upon learning of this just a day after the shooting, school founder and chief administrator Veronica Joyner (along with the board) decided to ban him from attending in-person schooling or events like graduation ceremonies or prom, which she described as a “privilege.” Their concern was that his presence posed a threat and the suspects could come after Walker again.

“If you’re a target, do I bring that target around other people and get them caught up in a shooting?” Joyner asked. “We would be placing others at risk by having him around.”

On June 8, the heartbroken 18-year-old remained at home as his classmates walked across the stage to pick up their diplomas. Although Walker’s name was printed in the graduation pamphlet, it wasn’t read aloud. He described the occasion as a repeat of his prom night when he lay in bed as friends FaceTimed him from the venue.

Instead of being supported by his school, Walker describes feeling at fault for what happened to him.

“I was the victim, and I felt like I was the problem,” he said in an interview with The Inquirer. “It made me feel like I’m nothing like I deserve nothing.”

The situation goes to show the drastic measures educators might be moved to take when the city around them is overwhelmed by shootings. Case in point, Joyner told The Inquirer she stands by her decision.

“I’m looking at the violence in this city and making a decision not to place everyone at risk,” she said. “It’s a safety issue. The only thing I could do was protect everyone else.”

Jane Roh, a spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office, described Walker as “by all accounts, a purely innocent victim who is not involved in the game whatsoever.” Walker explained that he pled his case to Joyner during a phone call, but she wouldn’t budge on her decision.

“My heart goes out to Dashawn, but I didn’t create the situation,” Joyner said. “My actions didn’t involve me in something that got me shot.”

As if the blame wasn’t enough, the school’s founder even said Walker should be grateful the school helped ensure he received the resources necessary to graduate, seemingly praising herself for giving the teen “a lifeline.”

“We didn’t let him drop out. He received a computer, and the teachers were instructed to work with him through the hospitalization,” she said. “I’m handing him a diploma, a lifeline, and that’s where the focus should be… I have put him on the side to go to college, get a good job. He now has a ticket.”

The experience, Walker said, has added another layer of anguish to his recovery. Already suffering nightmares, anxiety and depression from the trauma, he claims the incident with his school has exacerbated the pain of his recovery.

The unfortunate fact remains that this is another example of the additional trauma survivors of gun violence often endure — the stigma and shame of being shot alongside already balancing the heavy burden of both physical and emotional recovery.

On a lighter note, Walker was accepted into Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, where he hopes to study either business or health care come this fall. He also intends to start an emotional support group for gun violence survivors, aptly named “Redemption.”

The teen knows he can’t reverse time or change Joyner’s mind. Still, in his interview with The Inquirer, he implores her to understand the harm of her actions as he aims to also move forward with his life — hopefully away from the dangers of Philadelphia.