NILES — On Tiara Williams’ left wrist is a tattooed “B.” Below it, a death date, June 23, 2019. Tiara’s brother has a matching tattoo. It is in honor of their other sibling, Brandon Williams.

On Tiara’s right wrist is a bracelet. It has rocks, gems and a bullet. Inside the bullet’s shell is a message she wrote to Brandon after he was slain by a gunman in a South Bend bar when Saturday night crossed into early Sunday morning.

Behind Tiara’s eyes is sadness. It runs deep, and it will continue to for a long time, she said. Her brother was in a mass shooting, an act that injured 10 others at Kelly’s Pub on June 23. No suspects have been convicted in the case.

Niles men, usually black, go down to South Bend and do not come back, Tiara said. Brandon became one of them. It is a Niles epidemic, even if the violence occurs somewhere else, she said.

Tiara then held up a picture on her phone. In it were 10 black Niles men killed by gun violence in the past few years.

While sadness for her brother and other gun violence victims run deep behind Tiara’s eyes, so does determination to stop that trend of death.

When Brandon died, she said she did not want the memory of him, and the memory of what killed him, to disappear from people’s minds. So, she created an organization, despite working and raising three children, called Tattoo the World. Its name is an homage to Brandon’s nickname, “Tattoo,” and the body art he created.

Its mission is to bring the Niles community together, empower its residents and educate them about gun violence.

Brandon — the prankster brother that dusted Tiara’s bed with baby powder; the artist that detailed his bedroom ceiling and shirts for friend’s and family’s funerals; the quiet homebody; the Nesquik enthusiast — may be physically gone, but he will live on through his family, his friends and the work Tiara has done in the wake of his death.

“I really want Niles to be more involved,” Tiara said. “He’s not the only one that died from Niles by gun violence.”

Tiara’s eyes moved to the journal in front of her, flanked by her two wrists, one tattooed, one braceleted, both reminders and calls to action.

The journal carries questions. Why was local media largely silent when a black Niles man, 27 years old, was murdered a 25-minute drive away? Why do most black residents featured in the news seem to be only city officials, pastors and people sentenced to prison or jail?

The journal also carries solutions, made possible by Tiara and her team with Tattoo the World, to curb gun violence, connect a community and help the people struggling in it.

Tiara read the solutions aloud.

In June, just after Brandon’s death, she helped launch a car wash to raise funds for funeral expenses. Then, she organized the funeral service, encouraging attendees to come in green and white, an homage to Brandon’s bright clothing style.

In July, she hosted an appreciation breakfast for AmVets.

In August, Tattoo the World and Mount Calvary Baptist Church co-hosted a gun violence concert, featuring gospel artists and pastors.

In September, Tiara’s group and In the Cut Barbershop co-hosted an event where free haircuts and school supplies were given to children.

In October, Chaos & Order Tattoo Emporium split the proceeds from tattoos and piercings and sent half to Tattoo the World, which is using the funds to host other events.

This month, Tiara and family members are preparing to give other families in the community free Thanksgiving meals from Bob Evans.

She is also the process of creating grieving comfort kits for children and adults. They will be given to funeral homes, who will then pass out the kits’ throw blankets, scented candles, mugs, coloring books, crayons and stuffed animals to people going through a traumatic death like she did.

On Dec. 14, Tattoo the World and In the Cut will team up again, this time hosting a Santa Claus meet-and-greet, where pictures will be taken, refreshments will be served and donations of hats, gloves and canned goods will be collected for people in need.

The work Tiara is doing does not stop at the year’s end, however. She plans to continue to use the small donations she receives from each community event and continue to help others.

Just as important, she said, she is reaching out to local leaders in South Bend and Niles alike to start conversations, coalitions and action on addressing gun violence and black representation. She is considering starting her own Moms Demand Action chapter in Niles to combat the problem, too.

“It’s not just from my brother’s incident,” Tiara said about her team’s projects. “We’ve been doing it [for a while]. It’s our family. We’ve gotten a lot of support from Niles.”

Her mother has lived in the same house in Niles since she was 14, Tiara said. Her home has become renowned as a place where children can go for a bite to eat or a bed to sleep on if times get tough.

Her mother, too, has touched many lives through her work as a home-care nurse, Tiara said.

Reta Smith, Tiara’s cousin from Indiana, said Tiara should take some credit for her work, too, however.

“She is full of ideas. She is a movement,” Smith said. “She just needs some help, and she doesn’t plan to stop.”

Tiara said she and her team are seeking donations for Tattoo the World while they work to solidify its presence in the community and online — it is the team’s first time taking on such a project.

She said those interested in donating or receiving more information, such as to help, can email the group at tattootheworld23@gmail.com.

So far in 2019, 62 violent assaults have been recorded in Niles, according CrimeReports, which Niles’ police department sends information to. Of the 62, 17 have been assaults with deadly weapons.

The Williams family wants to ensure those numbers will never raise past zero again.