In West Garfield Park, a square-mile Chicago neighborhood that has seen nearly 1,000 shootings throughout the past five years — roughly one every other day — young people live in a constant state of fear. They watch over their shoulders, wary not only of those called to protect and serve but also of each other. […]
The town of Highland Park, a tight-knit community north of Chicago, has been grappling with the fallout of the July 4, 2022, mass shooting that turned a holiday parade into a scene of horror. Seven people were killed and nearly 50 others injured when a rooftop gunman opened fire with an AR-style rifle. Nearly three […]
Over the past few years, American cities have experienced an alarming increase in murders, reaching levels unseen in the past five decades. This rise in gun violence has disproportionately affected communities of color, exacerbating existing public safety disparities. In some neighborhoods, the progress made in reducing gun violence since the 1990s has been completely erased. […]
Ten years ago, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords founded Giffords, a gun-prevention organization. It was a month after the Sandy Hook tragedy, and two years to the day after Giffords was shot in the head in an attack that left six people dead and 13 injured at a Saturday morning constituent meet-and-greet outside a grocery store […]
Last month, Drew Lindsay, a Senior Writer at The Chronicle of Philanthropy, wrote an in-depth and data-driven piece on this movement, now termed the “gun-violence prevention movement,” and how it is achieving what couldn’t be done before. “More than seven in 10 Americans surveyed in August— including half of Republicans — said gun laws should […]
“Emphatically aye.” Wilmette Trustee Peter Barrow’s statement of assent was part of the Village Board’s unanimous approval on Tuesday, Sept. 13, of a resolution encouraging the Illinois General Assembly to address gun violence and firearm safety. As part of the resolution — full text on page 298 — the board is asking for a statewide […]
He stood behind the microphone with a gaping hole in his heart. This despairing teenager grieved the loss of his only friend, the one who was there for him, any hour of day or night, for long walks and conversation. His eulogy brought tears to my eyes. His only friend had succumbed to overdose. I […]
Every day we’re bombarded with news of gun violence. You can take a technology break and still not escape it, especially when the tragedy hits close to home and everyone’s talking about it. Whether you experience trauma firsthand or learn about it from the media, consciously or unconsciously, you’re going to have a reaction. “You […]
Don’t call Bailey Morris an activist. Or if you do, don’t mind if she cringes. It’s not that she dislikes the term. It has just never applied to her. That is until a gunman shot more than 40 people gathered at a community parade in the town up the street. “I was just so sad […]
On the evening of June 19, 2022, 36-year-old Fredrica Coleman, a single mom to eight children, was coming home from grocery shopping. As she approached her Englewood apartment, where her children were waiting inside, she was gunned down and killed. A police investigation is ongoing but no suspects are currently in custody. Witnesses reported seeing […]
