‘One split second’
Most people who are shot in Chicago survive, but every survivor’s story is different.
Last year, Chicago saw a historic surge in gun violence that led to a homicide total not seen in the city in nearly 20 years.
The stark numbers: More than 4,300 people were shot — and 700 killed. That’s an average of one person shot about every other hour.
This year, shootings are down about 9 percent from last year, but remain up 24 percent from 2015 and 48 percent from 2014.
Behind those numbers are the stories of individual people. WBEZ’s talking to families of victims, to shooters, gang members, emergency room doctors, and social workers as part of an ongoing series on Chicago’s gun violence. Here, three men speak candidly about the chaotic moment — and aftermath — of being struck by a bullet.
This story is part of WBEZ's Every Other Hour project.
Criminal justice reporting and investigative journalism at WBEZ is supported in part by Doris and Howard Conant, The Joyce Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
