Documenting the bedrooms of school shooting victims

Over six years, the parents of school shooting victims across the United States opened their doors to CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp, inviting them to document what it's like to live alongside their children's bedrooms exactly as they left them in the wake of tragic shootings, a project originally broadcast on November 17, 2024, to preserve memories and raise awareness about gun violence. The intimate documentary series captures the haunting presence of these preserved spaces, where time appears to stand still, with personal belongings, photographs, and everyday items frozen in place as poignant reminders of lives cut short. Hartman and Bopp's sensitive approach allows viewers to glimpse the profound and lasting impact of gun violence on families who continue to navigate their grief while maintaining these sacred spaces as tributes to their lost children. The project represents an unprecedented documentation of collective trauma, offering a raw and unfiltered look at how families cope with unimaginable loss while keeping their children's memory alive in the most personal of spaces.