PORTSMOUTH — For years, Quarius Naqua Dunham asked God for his parents to give birth to a baby but Quarius won’t be present to witness the answer to his prayers Two months have passed since 8-year-old Quarius, the only child of Portsmouth residents Matthew and Tecali Dunham, died in a Memorial Day weekend shooting near Florence The Dunhams were driving on a family trip when a gunman allegedly shot at their vehicle and others on the road killing the Little Harbour School third-grade student with a bullet to his neck the Dunhams are facing a rapidly-approaching due date for their second child together The next born will only ever know his older brother through photos “He’s going to need to know who his big brother was and how much his big brother prayed for him and wanted him,” Tecali “It just hurts my heart that they cannot see each other.”  the Dunhams tearfully spoke during an interview in Prescott Park last week about their son's death using a walker due to an injury he sustained in the shooting wore a gold chain with a pendant showing a selfie with Quarius with the words “Your wings were ready but our hearts were not." Encrusted with a ruby — Quarius’ birthstone — Tecali’s pendant contains a fill-in-the-blank passage from the “My Own Psalm 91” children’s board book Quarius used to read: “Because Quarius Dunham loves me and is my friend I will take Quarius Dunham away from evil and I will allow Quarius Dunham to sit with me up high.” A life lost to gun violenceOn May 25, Portsmouth officials and community members gathered around the Prescott Park fountain for a conversation about gun violence in America following the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Quarius became another victim of gun violence which he says prioritized capturing the alleged shooter before transporting his wounded son to the hospital Forty minutes passed before Quarius was in surgery at the hospital “Sometimes it feels like a punishment,” Matthew “I will always say it wasn’t supposed to happen We won’t see the man he would have become.” After her second son is born and she is asked how many children she has Tecali feels unsure if she should answer she has two sons and I love him still,” she said of her late son A lifetime changed in seconds that day for us.” Quarius and his parents lived for a time in Maryland before moving to Portsmouth in early 2020.  Quarius began playing basketball and many people remarked on his talent recalled his son’s ambition to get out on the basketball court and develop his skills working on dribbling exercises and his shooting ability Matthew would bring Quarius to outdoor basketball courts but wasn’t able to play at the pace his son was moving “I just felt bad inside because I couldn’t get out there to run around with him one of the biggest things on my to-do list was to get back to where I can run where I could get out there with him,” he said the Dunhams said their son played soccer for Seacoast United and basketball for the New Hampshire Spartans a Hampton-based Amateur Athletic Union club “He would rather play a game than practice,” Tecali said with a laugh.  Little Harbour School principal Erin Lawson said one of the first times she met Quarius he told her he would play in the National Basketball Association “Quarius' smile is one of the first things you would notice about him and when he laughed you couldn't help but smile yourself,” she wrote in an email “Quarius was a good friend who will be missed by those who knew him.” Math was Quarius’ preferred subject in school when he wasn’t making short TikTok videos or playing video games like Fortnite Quarius would read at his parents’ request He enjoyed reading out loud to them rather than silently in his head He had a personality where people just gravitated toward him,” Tecali said.  Quarius’ family threw him a posthumous party for what would have been his ninth birthday celebration.  the three Dunhams traveled from Portsmouth to South Carolina to visit Matthew’s older children and attend the graduation of Quarius’ half-brother the Dunhams and Matthew’s father had plans to eat at a barbecue restaurant in the countryside The four were driving only a few miles from the hotel where the Dunhams were staying when they saw a man standing along a driveway leading to a residence he looked just like a normal guy just standing there,” Matthew said he had gun down by his side and he pulled it up and shot at the car in front of us We were coming behind (the car) and I’m like Matthew attempted to speed up and quickly drive away from the man but the man fired a shot at the driver’s door.  That was the only gunshot Matthew heard that was directed at his family’s vehicle it felt like my whole skeleton shook.” he finally stopped the car and frantically began communicating with his family.  he saw his bleeding young son lying in his father’s arms I don’t know how to tell you this.’ By that time Don’t tell me that,’” Matthew said ‘Quarius (has) been shot.’” The Dunhams realized the gunman fired a second bullet at their car that pierced through their son's neck Matthew’s father told them that if he moved his finger off the wound on his grandson’s neck Matthew called 911 and two officers arrived But when he relayed that there was an active shooter only moments before the officers took off to apprehend the man Matthew couldn’t climb into the backseat of the vehicle to reach his son with his wife and father a third police officer arrived to assess the situation a few minutes later The Dunhams stated that because roads had been blocked off emergency responders had yet to come tend to Quarius and transport him to a hospital leading the third officer to start to do it himself why didn’t the first two officers try to help us with our son instead of just going to where the shooter was at?” Matthew said We didn’t call for help for the shooter.” Michael Nunn of the Florence County Sheriff's Office confirmed the sequence of events described by the Dunhams He noted the third officer to arrive coincidentally had combat medical experience Nunn added law enforcement officials met with the Dunhams in late June to discuss the shooting "The first two responding officers on scene went directly to locate confront and stop the shooter from creating additional victims. This is consistent with their training," he said. "Shortly thereafter where he rendered aid to the wounded and evacuated the child to an ambulance which was staging at a nearby safe zone."  followed by his father later on for his own injuries was transported to McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence.  doctors performed surgery to attempt to repair the artery in his neck She estimated the amount of time it took to get her son to the surgery table after Matthew’s call to 911 was 40 minutes “It’s something you never expect I never expected it to happen,” Tecali said of the shooting it’s just like you’re living moment to moment.” Quarius died in McLeod Regional Medical Center — the same hospital where he was born South Carolina in connection with the shooting Nunn said this week authorities believe the shooter used a Norinco SKS semi-automatic rifle. He added that the Florence County Sheriff's Office has not identified a motive for the shooting but that an investigation is still ongoing "The investigation will continue and we will pursue any additional leads or information until the case is concluded," he said A review of South Carolina court records shows that Allen was charged with murder and nine counts of attempted murder The case is still pending and is being prosecuted by the state Allen applied for a public defender to represent him Joye previously said in the wake of the incident that Allen appeared to be high on drugs and that deputies had dealt with him in the past according to an Associated Press report.  Court records state the vehicles Allen allegedly shot at included a Nissan Kicks with Illinois license plates with three people inside a GMC with South Carolina plates that had four individuals inside a Nissan Rogue which had two people inside and a Toyota Scion with South Carolina plates with one person inside.   A driver who attended Allen's bond hearing said a round hit the roof of his car as he drove past the suspect's Old River Road home "I noticed the gentleman was taking aim and I said 'He's going to shoot again,' so I ducked and stepped on the accelerator to get past him and he shot again," Calvin Cade said during the hearing Nunn said Allen is being held at the Florence County Detention Center without bond Little Harbour School’s Parent Teacher Association, with permission from the Dunhams, posted an online list of several ways to support the family in the wake of Quarius’ death.  One avenue to assist the family is a GoFundMe fundraiser set up in June which has raised more than $180,000 in less than two months.  MealTrain, an online meal organizer, is being used to provide food for the family. All funds donated through MealTrain to the Dunham family will be used to purchase food from WECO Hospitality a daily dinner service that delivers prepared food to a recipient’s door.  The New Hampshire Spartans organization is paying tribute to Quarius through an upcoming basketball tournament. The three-on-three tournament requires teams to donate $100 directly to the family and is available to elementary A memorial service is being held for Quarius the following day members of the public are welcome to attend.  Little Harbour’s PTA is also calling for public assistance in purchasing baby items for the Dunham family ahead of their second child’s arrival in September.  letters and drawings by the end of the month for a Shutterfly memorial book in honor of Quarius Members of the community have begun compiling photographs of Quarius in addition to letters and drawings for him for a virtual Shutterfly book created in his memory.  Photos uploaded to date show Quarius with his classmates and members of his basketball team while others show him dressed in costume for Halloween on an ice skating rink and with his parents Scribbled notes from friends and classmates that were posted to a memorial tree on Little Harbour’s grounds are being shared for the memory book Children wrote to Quarius about his success on the soccer field and the basketball court his knack for making others smile and his impact on them as a friend.  “Dear Quarius,” one student wrote “I hope you’re having an amazing time in heaven You were always so kind and I will be with you sooner or later.” After an extended stay in South Carolina following Quarius’ death and Matthew’s nearly two-week hospitalization the Dunhams returned to Portsmouth in late June to a shocked community eager to assist them The couple said they were inundated with messages and offers to help them leading to a group of Little Harbour students' mothers banding together and forming a GoFundMe to support them Quarius stays on his parents' minds constantly as they flash back to the shooting and the items left in his vacant bedroom. Both think about Quarius’ last moments including his final meal at a Sonic restaurant in South Carolina and their family drives along the Seacoast beach roads to view the ocean and luxury homes perched above it “With the years that we put in with Quarius and the path he was choosing now we’ve got to start all over,” Matthew said.  who assembles firearms at Newington-based gun manufacturer Sig Sauer has not yet returned to work since the shooting Considering the circumstances of his son’s death and the injuries he’s still battling but first wishes to complete rehab and attend counseling before making a decision about his employment “It’s going to probably be hard at certain times being there working while your mind travels a bit,” he said of his job a project manager within Lonza Biologics’ quality department in Portsmouth said she feels the pain of her lone child's death most acutely in private moments “It’s still hard because it would always be the three of us when that moment will come,” she said about her waves of heavy grief “But we don’t try to shy away from it We try to go through it,” Matthew added about the grief We can do it in front of each other but it isn’t usually at the same time It’s like one is trying to be stronger for the other,” Tecali said When they feel they can summon the strength, the Dunhams want to speak with South Carolina legislators about changing the state’s gun laws. Per the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence South Carolina lacks universal background checks on prospective gun owners restrictions on assault weapons and waiting periods between gun purchasing and ownership the couple are facing a rapidly-approaching September due date for their second child together 'He was just so excited to be a big brother' Quarius asked his mother about two years ago if he could have a sibling in Portsmouth with him to which she responded that it was a decision left to God After a bout with COVID-19 early last winter Tecali felt her body hadn’t yet quite returned to its usual state she saw Quarius’ prayers had been answered The Dunhams sat down with their son around February to tell him Tecali was early on in her pregnancy asking him to keep it a secret for a while Quarius was ecstatic but vowed to keep it to himself I knew he would tell people because they would come to me and I said I thought I told you not to tell anyone,’” Tecali recalled “And he would say sorry but he just couldn't keep quiet about it He was just so excited to be a big brother because he always wanted a (younger) sibling.” the Dunhams traveled to North Carolina for Tecali’s father’s 70th birthday and the couple had a gender reveal ceremony for their baby Quarius faced questions from loved ones about his preference on the sex of his long-awaited sibling “He didn’t care if it was a boy or a girl because people were asking him,” Tecali said But the day Quarius was looking forward to since last winter will now arrive without him Tecali noted she and her husband will work to ensure their second child knows not just the story of his big brother but also what he meant to them and to those within his world.  "I couldn't ask for a better blessing than who we had as a son," she said University of Notre Dame Keough School of Global Affairs Hugo Flores Navarro has been aware of inequality since he was very young As a child growing up in Mexico he rode a bus from Tecali where he attended an upper-middle class private school “I was seeing two worlds on a daily basis,” said Flores, now a physician and first-year master of global affairs student at the Keough School “The reality of the kids I went to school with was very different from the reality of the kids I played with in the afternoon I questioned why the rich kids got fancy toys at Christmas and the kids in my hometown played with marbles in the dirt I eventually realized there was no moral logic behind it.”  Raised by parents who owned a masonry business but received no formal education beyond elementary school Flores remembers conversations with his mother about the inequality he was seeing “She would talk about how the world shouldn’t be like that,” he said “She was very involved in the Catholic Church and was also politically concerned about poverty.” Flores first considered becoming a doctor at age 14 then briefly dropped out to join a protest movement opposing a planned industrial waste complex outside Tecali After graduating from Tec de Monterrey Medical School Flores completed his social service year—a requirement for all new physicians—and moved from Monterrey to Chiapas Working for a local community health group sponsored by Partners in Health Flores familiarized himself with the region and its challenges disparate communities that were not easily accessed because of mountainous terrain He saw clinics that were open but not operational because there was no one to staff them He saw patient after patient with complications from common diseases that had been untreated for years: hypertension a memoir by physician and Partners in Health founder Paul Farmer his perspective on health care started to shift “I began to see medicine in a political way,” Flores said “I realized that the quality of health care depends on the purchasing power of the patient and I wanted to be part of a movement that would promote that.”  Flores reached out to the chief medical officer of Partners in Health in Boston eventually getting approval in 2010 to create a Mexican sister organization Compañeros En Salud (CES) in the Sierra region of Chiapas the CES team was collaborating with the Mexican Ministry of Health and Tec de Monterrey and previously unused clinics were now staffed by new physicians fulfilling the country’s social service requirement The number of clinics then expanded from two to six in six months Eventually the program attracted still more doctors then medical students and health volunteers of all kinds the program still faces challenges—financial dependence on donors uneven terrain requiring four-by-four vehicles—but it is thriving Most CES staff members are health care professionals who completed their social service year and opted to stay “We made it desirable to stay in this region,” Flores said “If we can set up a full health system in this remote place who serves on the Partners in Health Board of Trustees “Hugo brings the experience of managing hundreds of people over time working in life-and-death circumstances,” Reifenberg said “He has the ability to step out of sector-specific and country-specific settings and into the international context of complex global problems.”  Four months into the master of global affairs program Flores said he appreciates the opportunity to address global problems from the perspective of disciplines such as philosophy or theology “Having a community of faculty and students that offer an academic and spiritual perspective is unique I believe many of the problems in the world have a spiritual element or root.”  While he’s not yet sure what life after Notre Dame will bring Flores knows he will continue to devote his professional life to promoting health as a human right “We cannot accept different standards of healthcare for different human beings,” he said “We need to fight until this concept becomes history.” Keough School of Global Affairs © 2025 University of Notre Dame I really see the world in black and white”: an interview with the photographer whose shots of Mexico and its diaspora go on show at Paris’s Fondation Cartier The Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide emits a snort of derision when I mention the dreaded words “magical realism.” She blames Surrealism’s so-called pope for starting a trend in the West during the 1930s that led to the work of Latin American artists being characterized in this way “Mexico is not a magical country,” Iturbide but I think the French and the Americans love to pigeonhole us or give us labels.” who last year became the first Latin American woman to win Sony’s Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award insists that everything she photographs is “the reality” of what she sees—no more and no less “I really need a sense of surprise for me to take a successful photograph,” she says A measure of her eagle eye can be taken in an exhibition opening next weekend at the Fondation Cartier which gathers more than 200 images from her 52 years of taking photos Most of the pictures in “Heliotropo 37,” named after the street number of her studio and all are shot with film using a handheld camera and without a telephoto lens I really see the world in black and white,” she says “as if I was taking an abstract view.” The exceptions are a series of color photographs taken by Iturbide especially for the exhibition of massive pink-and-white blocks of alabaster and onyx being mined and cut in the Mexican village of Tecali de Herrera Iturbide is best known for her black-and-white portraits of Mexico’s indigenous communities in which she often focuses on traditional rituals and ceremonies she became the first photographer to take pictures of a “rapto,” whereby a young Zapotec woman elopes with her future husband to his house and makes love for the first time depicts a young woman lying on a bed strewn with traditional flowers and confetti “I don’t know why I love these rituals so much Maybe it has to do with my Catholic education,” says Iturbide “But I love all these little angels and images of death—all of those things that people believe in or play with.” Like many of Iturbide’s pictures from around that time The Abduction was taken in the town of Juchitán de Zaragoza Iturbide continues to appreciate Juchitán de Zaragoza as “a place where eroticism flows in a very natural way.” She has enormous affection for the women of the town who have driven its market economy for centuries One of her most well-known photographs is Our Lady of the Iguanas (1979) which depicts a powerful Zapotec woman with a crown of live iguanas on her head The image is one of several by Iturbide to have taken on a life of its own inspiring numerous murals and clay figures and even featuring as a feminist icon in the 1996 Hollywood film Female Perversions Its representation of a caped Seri Indian woman was used by Rage Against the Machine for the cover of their politically charged single “Vietnow.” Iturbide welcomes the idea of these images’ “flying away” like the flocks of birds she has made a custom of photographing But she also stresses that her original motivation for taking them has nothing to do with the way they are now frequently interpreted but my work is not political.” —Tobias Grey “Graciela Iturbide: Heliotropo 37” opens at the Fondation Cartier The leading authority for the Architecture & Design community Recharge in a Restored Spanish Farmhouse in Menorca Words: Karine Monié Cofounded by Alejandro Campos and Joel Rojas Working in collaboration with local artisans Mexico-based team views lighting design as a means to promote wellness pendants and table lamps (plus a table and three models of credenzas) reflect the team’s meticulous design approach guided by the exploration of materials and the desire to honor the richness and traditions of Mexico with a contemporary eye which translates to “Bandit” as a nod to the pair’s playful spirit recently released new pieces in their DBH 02 collection that reflect their creative ethos they share how their work reflect the textures and flavors of Mexico what it’s like working in 16th-century hacienda Interior Design: How and when did Bandido start?  Alejandro Campos and Joel Rojas: We launched Bandido in April 2016 following a university project that gave us the opportunity to develop our first lighting product This experience showed us how light could transform atmospheres, spaces Ana Martinez joined us as an associate partner ID: What is the concept behind Bandido?  AC: We seek the duality of light and shadow and we are always inspired by how light can be transformed by nature we want to design and produce high quality products that can transcend time and generate a circular and local economy through the different artisanal and semi-industrial processes ID: What characterizes your products?  JR: We are constantly exploring and combining materials as well as looking for those special characteristics that make them express their nature, history and composition. Mexico is rich in textures colors and materials. We want to reference the context and country in which we live ID: Can you describe your workspace?  AC: Our office is nestled in a hacienda from the 16th century in the Mexican city of Puebla it is a peaceful and harmonious place that invites you to admire the beauty of things in the middle of an urban environment Ten minutes from the office is our workshop where all our pieces are produced and assembled in an atmosphere filled with creativity and experimentation.  ID: What is the concept behind your new DBH 02 collection?  JR: We started to work on the DBH lamp as an exploration of forms through the use of metal We have just launched additions to this series which comprise a new version of the original pendant that is now made in onyx as well as a sconce in three different sizes (small ID: What was the source of inspiration behind the DBH 02 collection?  AC: The inspiration arose during a lighting test that we did with onyx in which we discovered various attributes of this material we realized that onyx is capable of transmitting light through its body and composition; and that it absorbs light and merges with it while giving a feeling of calm ID: What makes this collection unique?  JR: Through the uniqueness of the veins and colorations of onyx every lamp tells its own story and showcases the hand of the craftsmen who worked on the piece The subtle way light is naturally absorbed and transmitted also characterizes this collection ID: Do you usually work with artisans?  and for the DBH 02 family in particular we collaborated with craftsmen in the small city of Tecali de Herrera in the State of Puebla (tecali in Nahuatl means ‘house of Stone’) Their knowledge of curving the rigidity of onyx has been perfected throughout time and passed down through generations here AC: The first step consists in defining the type of product to develop Then we start to investigate and explore the different materials the engineering phase is launched to finalize how the product will be followed by a prototype The validation phase allows us to confirm costs reviewed and packaged for their commercialization ID: What are your upcoming projects?  we will launch new additions to our Aura collection with the launch of a table lamp Our series Templo will also grow soon (by the end of the year).  chat with Interior Design about their latest collaborations in lighting design Check out the limited-edition lighting by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby for “Signals,” their first solo exhibition with Galerie kreo The Mexico Design Fair presents an array of intriguing furniture and objects from Latin American-focused galleries where cofounders Anthony Gagliardi and Dorian Booth turn material and form into multidisciplinary magic From an amorphic stained glass sculpture to a pink egg-cluster cabinet see the highlights from Odunpazarı Modern Museum’s exhibit “Creatures of Comfort.” From richly layered interiors to dystopian provocations in botanical gardens these installations captured the spirit of storytelling at Milan Design Week 2025 Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared the Mexican and Spanish pottery style known as talavera an intangible cultural heritage The pottery is made in the Mexican states of Puebla and Tlaxcala and the Spanish towns of Talavera de la Reina and El Puente del Arzobispo are colloquially referred to as the “Talavera zone.” Puebla Tourism Secretary Fabiana Briseño Suárez said the centuries-old tradition begun in Spain includes Islamic all of which integrated with the history and art in Mexico after being brought to Mexico during the Spanish conquest “An example of [this integration] is the large number of buildings fountains and facades in Puebla that are masterfully adorned with talavera,” she said UNESCO said that although some of the techniques employed to make talavera have changed in both Mexico and Spain such as the use of electric potter’s wheels decoration and glazing are still artisanal and identical to those practiced in the 16th century “The theoretical knowledge and practices related to this element of living cultural heritage include the preparation of the clay its formation with a potter’s wheel or mold the preparation of the pigments and glazes and the firing in the kiln operations that all require great skill,” said the organization Source: El Financiero (sp) ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC The workshop where blocks of marble and onyx are turned into figures Francisco Camargo carefully guides a saw as it cuts through the edge of a piece of marble he’s been shaping into a bowl The saw whines as it spins at 3,700 revolutions per minute Water pouring down from the saw onto the marble keeps it cool and prevents it from cracking water has mixed with the dust to form a slurry Álvaro Meza Hernández — Camargo’s boss and the owner of Mezher a store specializing in all things made from marble and onyx — is happy “I like to come here and work still,” he said the pueblo where Mezher and dozens of other stores sell items made from marble and onyx usually translated as “house of stone.” The pueblo was first settled in the 12th century by the indigenous Chichimecas and became known back then for its marble and onyx figures Their work was so prized that they had to send pieces as tribute to Tenochtitlán According to a plaque in front of the zócalo Franciscan friars arrived in 1540 and built the pueblo’s first convent A second convent — whose construction was begun in 1569 according to the Mexican government — was built on top of the first Although it’s one of the pueblo’s main tourist attractions it is one of the largest retailers in Tecali “I started working here 50 years ago,” said Meza His children are the third generation to learn the craft of shaping marble and onyx Anyone interested in working with marble and onyx must first learn how to polish and sand the stones and then how to clean them with muriatic acid “One needs to make perfect movements to polish,” said Meza if they’re one of the few with talent for this kind of work “It takes at least four years of training to start making pieces of medium quality,” Meza said “It takes at least 10 years to make a good artisan To make a fine sculpture takes 15 years of training The bowl that Camargo is working on started out as a block of onyx “One needs to know the stone beforehand because there are many imperfections,” he explained he marks it and then fills it in with epoxy to strengthen the stone it takes years of training to tell a stone’s quality “I can tell a good or bad rock with touch,” said Meza When the stone is judged to be of high enough quality and the imperfections are adequately prepared Camargo uses the saw to make the initial cuts and then chips out the thin pieces with a hammer and chisel “The strokes are made as the craftsman creates something artistically,” Meza said Close attention must be paid when using the saw because the piece can be quickly pulled forward A fine white powder covers the finished pieces and this is removed by washing them with muriatic acid a step which brings out the stone’s colors In addition to the workshop where smaller items are made Meza has another much larger workshop where huge blocks of marble and onyx — some weighing as much as 30 tonnes — are turned into tables and counters His is the only shop in Tecali that can cut blocks that large and he often cuts them for other stores in the pueblo Tables and countertops are made by first cutting the blocks into slabs using very large Slabs are then cut to size by another smaller but still frightening-looking saw Meza’s store sells mostly small to medium-sized figures but anyone interested in finding a figure large enough to place on a front lawn will find plenty of options along the main road in Tecali The front of Armando Contreras’s workshop is filled with figures that measure three or four feet There are figures of the Virgin of Guadalupe a Buddha or two and a striking rendition of an iguana “That took two weeks to make,” said Contreras “and at least six to eight years to learn how to make it.” Mezher and other stores in Tecali sell all sorts of items made from marble and onyx “There are different types … that are used for sculptures and for decorative figures,” Meza said The onyx used in Tecali is sometimes referred to as Mexican onyx and can be distinguished from marble by the beautiful bands of color that run through it Onyx is used for lamps because it is translucent.” it can still be difficult at times to tell marble and onyx apart “I can tell … because of my experience,” Meza said He paused a moment while he searched for other words Joseph Sorrentino, a writer and photographer, is a regular contributor to Mexico News Daily. More examples of his photographs and links to other articles may be found at www.sorrentinophotography.com  He currently lives in Chipilo