When a man started shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, two years ago, it awakened a fear in many people, as mass shootings so often do, that these horrific moments can happen in your own backyard.
Ever since I started working at The Trace, Chicago survivors from Black and brown neighborhoods I’ve interviewed have pointed to the Highland Park shooting, which killed seven people, as a moment that spurred change. While all of them applauded the subsequent efforts of legislators and advocates to advance gun reform and provide more resources for gun violence prevention, they questioned why it took a tragedy in a mostly white, affluent community for many to start paying attention.
The dread that it might happen any day, anywhere, is something that these Chicago survivors already knew too well. For years, they had been asking for help to better address the public health crisis created by guns in their streets. Last year, Chicagoans weathered almost 3,000 shootings, mostly concentrated in the South and West Sides of the city. So why weren’t their losses enough to move the needle in the same way the Highland Park shooting did?
When I learned that three Highland Park survivors were ready to talk about their experiences, I was curious to hear how they thought about the gun violence that disadvantaged communities in Chicago face daily. I was also eager to ask what drove them to gun reform work, and how they situated themselves among the different groups working to alleviate the crisis. My latest story, “They Survived the Highland Park Mass Shooting. It Opened Their Eyes,” explores that conversation. They told me that they view their privilege as a responsibility to take action toward reducing gun violence — while also making sure that other survivors get the help they need.
— Rita Oceguera, Chicago reporter
From The Trace
The latest from our team.
They Survived the Highland Park Mass Shooting. It Opened Their Eyes.
Two years after living through gunfire, survivors reflect on what they’ve learned — and how they’re trying to help.
July Fourth Gun Violence Plummets to a Five-Year Low
The drop in shootings during the holiday follows an overall downward trend since the start of 2024. Still, gunfire injured or killed 245 people over the long weekend.
How Many Guns Did Americans Buy Last Month?
About 1.2 million guns were sold in June, according to seasonally adjusted estimates.
What to Know This Week
Ten more people have sued the gunmaker SIG Sauer alleging that they were injured when their P320 pistols fired without their fingers on the trigger. Among the litigants are five law enforcement officers, including a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. The suits come after a Georgia jury in June determined that the P320 was defectively designed. To date, at least 104 people have alleged that they’ve been injured in defective shootings. — Champe Barton
The Republican National Committee released its official platform this week — the first since 2016 — without any mention of gun policy. Gun rights were acknowledged only in the document’s preamble, which promises to defend “our fundamental freedoms,” including the right to keep and bear arms. [The Reload]
More guns and ammo are making their way to U.S. airports this summer as Americans travel in record-breaking numbers. Higher rates of firearm ownership and deregulation of gun laws could be playing a role. [The Washington Post]
Patrons at a handful of grocery stores in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas can now buy bullets from vending machines inside the businesses. The machines, built by the company American Rounds, scan customer IDs and use facial recognition technology to verify that customers are eligible for ammunition purchases. Company officials claim that the machines are more reliable than online or retail sales. [Associated Press]
Across the country, unhoused people are being killed, often by gunfire, at an alarming rate. Though data on these homicides is inconsistent and often incomplete, the statistics that are available suggest that the problem is getting worse. [The Appeal]
The involuntary manslaughter convictions of the parents of Ethan Crumbley — the 15 year old who shot and killed four classmates at Michigan’s Oxford High School in 2021 — set a historic precedent. To win those convictions, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald endured death threats, pushback from her staff, and a judge-imposed gag order. [The Washington Post]
It’s been a year since five people were killed by a man armed with a homemade assault-style weapon in Philadelphia’s Kingsessing neighborhood, one of the deadliest mass shootings in the city’s history. For community members, victims’ families, and the first responders at the scene, the tragedy still feels fresh. [The Philadelphia Inquirer]
In Memoriam
Noah Bagby, 17, was a “ball of bright energy,” his sister said — he was known for his big smile, his positive energy, and his ability to light up any room. Noah was shot and killed near his home in Auburn, Washington, on July 3. He died less than an hour before his 18th birthday, and just a couple of weeks after graduating high school. Noah loved to fish, and often spent time on the state’s lakes catching bass and trout to fry up for his family’s dinner. He had plans to attend a technical college and work in the HVAC industry, and hoped to get married and start a family. He was incredibly caring, his sister said, not only to their family but also to the community around them: She described Noah as a leader among his peers who never hesitated to lend an ear to anyone who needed it. “Noah always lifted the spirits of others he was around,” his sister wrote on a GoFundMe page. “Noah will truly be missed but never forgotten.”
We Recommend
For Kids Arrested in Chicago, the City Has Little to Offer: “While youth arrests are way down, Chicago has failed to fix its long-broken approach to providing support for kids who get arrested, lagging far behind mayoral promises and serving only a fraction of kids who might need help.” [Injustice Watch]
Pull Quote
“It’s … structural violence. The system is set up where unless you’re a property-owning taxpayer and you’re a voter, we don’t care. You’re disposable to us.”
— Ben Jeffrey, a local service provider and advocate for homeless people in Maricopa County, Arizona, on killings of unhoused people, to The Appeal
This newsletter was compiled by Alma Beauvais, Agya K. Aning, and Sunny Sone.
