Chicago is in the middle of a gun violence epidemic. Since the start of summer 2020, about 6,000 people have been shot, 1,000 of them fatally.
The numbers are so large and the grief so incomprehensible it can be easy to feel hopeless, or resort to cynicism. For those lucky enough to live in areas mostly untouched by gun violence, there may be an inclination to turn away completely.
But there are people throughout the city working to make it better.
“[There] is hope for the city,” said anti-violence advocate Anthony Chestnut. “You have a lot of men and women out here that’s working to curb this violence.”
Throughout the summer, WBEZ has been talking with some of those men and women. They’ve shared their fears, their successes and their insights into what’s driving the violence — and what it will take to stop it.