This is the story of Kijuan Byrd – he was shot to death by a private security guard with a history of substance abuse, who later was diagnosed with psychological disorders. It is part of a larger investigation of the private armed security industry by The Center for Investigative Reporting and CNN. Featuring original illustrations by Anna Vignet.

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Shoshana Walter was a senior reporter and producer for Reveal. She joined The Marshall Project as a staff writer in October 2023. At Reveal, Walter examined the armed guard industry and trafficking on marijuana farms. She uncovered how court-mandated treatments for drug addiction turned thousands of people into an unpaid shadow workforce for some of the country’s largest corporations—reporting that was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and which led to the popular investigative podcast serial American Rehab. Her work has been honored with the Livingston Award for National Reporting, the Investigative Reporters and Editors medal, the Edward R. Murrow award, and the Knight Award for Public Service, among others.