According to Chicago Police Department data, 28 people were shot in 19 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Pritzker on Saturday signed the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, making Illinois the eighth state to approve legislation that rolls back legal protections for firearms manufacturers or distributors.

In the latest installment of our series WTTW News: A Safer City, we tackle the issue of domestic violence. We examine state laws that protect survivors and meet a local woman providing essentials to women in need.

The Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline reported a 9% uptick in contacts received between 2020 and 2021, according to The Network for Advocating Against Domestic Violence 2021 annual report. With those grim statistics, Illinois lawmakers hope updates to domestic violence laws will help survivors of abuse.

An increase in domestic violence reports has not only highlighted the need for better legal protection and laws for survivors, but also the need for creating an improved network of care in cases of abuse. Dozens of organizations in Chicago are working to address those needs. 

The prime exhibit in Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s effort is the JR-15, a smaller, lighter version of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle advertised with the tag line, “Get ‘em One Like Yours.” 

According to Chicago Police Department figures, 27 people were shot in 25 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. That included the young girl who was fatally shot Saturday in the 3500 block of North Long Avenue.

The city, state and federal governments have allocated millions in funding for anti-violence programs — ones that hire local residents at high risk of being shot or shooting others. 

Our series WTTW News: A Safer City continues with the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois on his role in reducing gang violence. Plus, weakening gangs and strengthening violence interrupters.

Violence prevention workers say the job begins by reaching out to young people who might one day become victims or perpetrators of gun violence and giving them guidance.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Illinois has scored some significant recent successes as part of its anti-gang efforts.

Chicago leaders joined “Chicago Tonight” co-host Brandis Friedman in a discussion focused on how residents, policymakers and community groups are working to address the deeply rooted issue of gun violence.

The nuanced data is valuable to state agencies making budget decisions, but also is used by citizens, researchers, advocates and nonprofit organizations targeting specific issues.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 47 people were shot in 29 separate shooting incidents across the city between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

A new law in Illinois aims to give former inmates a better chance to succeed outside of prison and reduce the likelihood that they’ll be sent back.

Communities Partnering 4 Peace led by the Metropolitan Peace Initiatives is one of many violence prevention efforts across the city working to address the sharp increase in gun violence that Chicago, along with other major cities, experienced during the pandemic.