We spent the day in North Lawndale — the neighborhood Laquan McDonald grew up in — and spoke with family members and the community about Jason Van Dyke’s release as part of our community reporting series.

The Justice Department is launching an effort in Chicago and four other U.S. cities to reduce spiking gun violence by addressing illegal trafficking and prosecuting offenses that help put guns in the hands of criminals.

A conversation with the Rev. Martin Hunter, the great uncle of Laquan McDonald, whose fatal shooting by a Chicago police officer in 2014 sparked widespread calls for police reform.

Attorneys from several legal groups penned a letter on behalf of the slain teen’s great uncle, claiming the former cop received an “illegal” sentence based on reasoning that “cannot be reconciled” with Illinois law.

The sentencing of Jason Van Dyke raises questions about criminal justice and police reform in Chicago and beyond. The Rev. Marvin Hunter, Laquan McDonald’s great-uncle, weighs in.

Family members of Laquan McDonald on Friday made their way to Grace Memorial Baptist Church on the city’s West Side, where the slain teen’s great-uncle, the Rev. Marvin Hunter, preaches.