REDUCING VIOLENCE IN CHICAGO.

>> GUN-RELATED HOMICIDES OFTEN DOMINATE THE HEADLINES WHEN TALKING ABOUT VIOLENCE IN CHICAGO.

BUT GETTING LESS ATTENTION ARE OFTEN THE SURVIVORS OF SHOOTINGS, SOME OF WHOM ARE LEFT TO COPE WITH PHYSICAL INJURIES AND LONG-TERM DISABILITIES.

AND ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY BY ACCESS LIVING THE PHYSICAL NEEDS OF THE SURVIVORS ARE NOT BEING MET.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE LESLIE HOME CAP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE STRAIGHTENING CHICAGO'S YOUTH PROGRAM AT LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND WITH VIOLENCE INTERVENTION MANAGER AND AND THE GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVOR AND MICHELLE GARCIA MANAGER OF ORGANIZING IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT ACCESS LIVING.

AND JOINING US VIA ZOOM IS ERICA WILKINS FOUNDER BROKEN WINGS IN A GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVOR.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.

MICHELLE, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CRITICAL GAPS MISSING IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF NEWLY DISABLED GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS IN CHICAGO?

SO ONE OF CRITICAL NEEDS THAT WE HAVE SEEN GAPS THAT WE HAVE SEEN OUR >> MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DISABLED, WE HAVE BECOME DISABLED BUT NOT ONLY FOR THEM, BUT FOR THEIR FAMILIES BECAUSE BECOMING MENTALLY DISABLED REALLY CRITICAL CHANGE FROM YOU KNOW, BEING WELL OR NORMAL AS THEY WANT TO CALL IT TO NOT HAVING THE 3.60, CHANGE SO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IS CRITICAL SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THAT THE CHANGES IN THE PROCESS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING STEP BY STEP.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CHANGES MAINTAINED ALSO PEER SUPPORT.

PEER SUPPORT IS ONE OF COMPONENTS HAS ACCESS LIVING.

WE HAVE IN COMPONENTS SUPPORTS THAT WE.

>> FOR AND CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING AND THE PEER SUPPORT IS CRITICAL.

WHEN YOU ARE BECOMING NEWLY INJURED AS WELL.

YOU NEED THAT SUPPORT FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS GONE THROUGH WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO THAT YOU CAN RELATE INSANELY OVER SOME.

THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO WAS GOING THROUGH WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH AND THEY CAN GET THAT SUPPORT FROM THAT PERSON.

SUPPORT IS A REALLY BIG AND I WANT TO BRING ERIC IN HERE >> YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE STUDY WHICH STATES THERE HAS BEEN MORE THAN 37,000 NON-FATAL SHOOTING IX INCIDENTS IN CHICAGO.

ERIC WISER, SUCH A BIG GAP BETWEEN WHEN TALKING ABOUT SURVIVING GUN VIOLENCE.

>> WELL, AS ENVIRONMENT VIOLENT GUN BUYERS CHICAGO WHERE IT'S IT'S JUST EVERY DAY IS EVERY DAY ESPECIALLY AS MIGHT BE A LITTLE WORSE DIFFERENT AREAS.

I WOOD BUT IF YOU DO SAY WHEW.

YOU YOU'RE LIKE, WANT TO WANT TO SO CALL LUCKY OR BUT I THINK EVERYONE HERE IS IS SURVIVING COMBINED.

>> IN ERIC, YOU WERE SHOT AND BECAME PARALYZED AT THE AGE OF 28.

CAN YOU TELL ME SOME OF YOUR BIGGEST CHAP BIGGEST CHALLENGES WHEN YOU WENT BACK HOME?

>> THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WAS REALLY JUST GOING BACK TO A COMMUNITY BEING A FATHER, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVE EU.

SOMEBODY OWNS AND STAND STAND IN THE HOSPITAL.

YOU KNOW, YOU SPACE IS BECOMING ROOM.

YOU KNOW THE ACCESSIBILITY WILL SEE THEM.

YOU KNOW, THE HOUSE COME OUT OF 5 SO FELT A PRISON MOSTLY STAYED IN MY ROOM BUT INTO A BIG QUESTION.

>> IS THAT WE WHY YOU WOULD SAY YOU STARTED BROKEN WINGS.

>> OH, YEAH.

I STARTED.

I STARTED BROKE THE YEAH, BECAUSE DAY AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WE WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, REALLY WAS IN NO GUYS WHO LOOK LIKE ME OR GUYS WHO GET HURT FROM STREETS.

YOU KNOW, WE WERE LOOKED ON GANG MEMBER OR YOUR YOUR BROW, YOU HAD TO BE DOING SOME LONG.

AND SO THE DIFFERENT PEER GROUPS THAT WAS SET UP, WE'RE SET UP MORE PEOPLE IN PA OR MAYBE PEOPLE MIGHT BUNGEE JUMPING PEOPLE THEIR LIVES IN LOCKER ROOM BACK TO BROWN BASE.

>> AND GET MORE.

WANT TO GO TO YOUR ALSO GUN VIOLENCE.

SURVIVOR YOURSELF.

CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY AND WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES SO I I REALIZE THAT I A SURVIVOR VIOLENCE AT AN EARLY AGE WHEN I NOTICED IT AT HOME.

BUT THEN AT THE AGE 5TH GRADE WENT AND THAT WAS THE EMOTIONAL SIDE, RIGHT?

BUT 5TH GRADE MY BEST FRIEND AT SCHOOL GOT KILLED, GOT SHOT IN THE HEAD AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS IN THE PROGRAMS THAT THERE IS NOW.

SO BACK TO WHERE IS YOUR HOMEWORK?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

AND YOU 85TH IN 5TH GRADE.

HOW GET THE TIME.

10, YEARS OLD.

>> GIVE OR TAKE 10 YEARS ON.

BUT CHALLENGE THAT HAD BACK THEN WHICH CREATED ANGER RIGHT?

IT TOOK ME INTO ANOTHER PASS OF LIFE AND THAT GETTING SHOT BY THE AGE OF 13 MY KEYS IN BETWEEN THAT AGE AND 20?

2 YEARS OF AGE GOSH, GUN PUT TO MY HEAD SHOT.

GRACE ON THAT ARE DEAD.

BUT IN BETWEEN I GOT STABBED, I WANT TO WEAKEN A WEEK LATER AND A STEP 4 MORE TIMES MULTIPLE DIFFERENT VIOLENT AND EVENTUALLY I FIGURED OUT THAT I WAS IN MY PAST STARTED MY TRANSITION.

AND BEEN ON THIS FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS THAT READY.

WOULD YOU SAY >> DO LEAD LEAD YOU TO IN LHASA, CORRECT?

DEFINITELY.

AND AND MULTIPLE LAYERS, RIGHT?

I STARTED AS A VERY LOW AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POLL.

>> DOING AN INTERNSHIP WITH AN AMERICAN ART PROGRAM.

JOINING IN NONPROFIT AGENCY CALLED BUILD TO THAT LET BE 2 DIFFERENT LEVELS OF LIFE AND EVENTUALLY BACK INTO MY OWN COMMUNITY BECAUSE I STARTED DOING WORK OUTSIDE OF OF MY OWN COMMUNITY AT DON'T STUFF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL BUT EVENTUALLY CAME BACK HOME TO MY COMMUNITY WHERE I'M AT NOW.

WELL, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE ALL THE OBSTACLES YOU FACE.

AND LESLIE, I WANT TO SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE ARE SHOT, THEY DON'T HAVE.

>> HEALTH INSURANCE, WHAT IS IT LIKE TO HEAL AND SURVIVE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE?

IT WILL BIGGER LAYER OF TO GETTING THE CARE THAT YOU NEED.

YOU MIGHT GO.

>> WITH UNMET NEED TO MIGHT SEEK HEALTH CARE OR YOU MAY NOT HAVE PRIMARY CARE AND TO ADDRESS ANY NEW HEALTH NEEDS THAT ARISE AND THAT CAN HAPPEN ACROSS THE LIFESPAN AND COMPLICATE QUALITY OF LIFE.

THERE'S A LOT THAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET THOSE UNMET NEEDS.

BOTH MEDICAL MENTAL HEALTH AND THEN POST FROM THE HOSPITAL.

WE CAN DO REALLY GREAT MEDICAL CARE WITH AND WITHOUT INSURANCE.

BUT WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE SUPPORTS AND FINANCING FOR SUPPORTS POST.

YOU MENTIONED DATA.

IS THERE ENOUGH DATA OUT THERE RIGHT NOW?

I THINK A LOT OF THE GAPS THAT WE'VE HEARD ERIC SPEAK ABOUT AND SURVIVORS EARLIER EARLIER TODAY AT THE AXIS REPORT RELEASED IS THAT WE LACK A LOT DATA ON NON FATAL FIREARM INJURIES.

WE DON'T HAVE A FEDERAL DATABASE OF THOSE INJURIES.

SO WITHOUT DATA, WE CAN'T HAVE A ROAD MAP TO KNOW WHERE ARE THE SURVIVORS?

WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS AND WHERE DO WE NEED TO INVEST MORE RESOURCES WEEK SHOULD ABSOLUTELY PAIR THAT DATA WITH ALL OF THE STORIES WE'RE HEARING TODAY.

AND I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO LIGHT.

IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT GAP THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

WE'VE HAD NEARLY 25 YEARS WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WASN'T INVESTING IN RESEARCH AND DATA COLLECTION.

WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IT MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THAT FOCUS.

AND MICHELLE, THE REPORT FINDS THAT THE MOST COMMON EXPERIENCE PARTICIPANTS SHARED.

>> AFTER BEING SHOT WAS FEELING CRIMINAL, A FEELING OF CRIMINALIZATION.

I KNOW WE ERIC TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN YES.

SO INTERVIEWS WE INTERVIEWED OVER 100 PEOPLE.

>> MANY OF THE INTERVIEWS IT THE CONSTANT THEME WAS PEOPLE THEY THOUGHT CRIMINALIZED, THAT WHEN THEY SHOT AND TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, THE FIRST INSTANCE WAS LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, THEY MUST HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SOME TYPE OF SITUATION AND THEY WERE BEING CURRENTLY IS RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR SITUATION.

INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING TREATED.

SO THAT'S KIND THAT TO A PATH OF WE KNOW WHY I'M JUST NOT GOING TO BE TREATED JUST, YOU KNOW, GO MY OWN WAY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO FROM A TREATMENT AFTERWARDS OR IS THIS SOME OF INSTANCES WE HEARD ABOUT WHERE LIKE THEY GOT TREATED TO BEGIN WITH LAKE TO BE OUT OF LAKE THAT EMERGENCY SITUATION, BUT ANY OTHER SUPPORT NEEDED AFTERWARD, THEY WERE NOT PROVIDED ANY SUPPORTS LAKE THERE'D BE OR AND LIKE MEDICAL SUPPLIER, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEEDED.

THAT WAS NICE SAID TO THEM LIKE THE IT'S AVAILABLE BECAUSE AGAIN, CRIMINALIZING OR A MEDICAL RACIAL PROFILING HAPPENS A LOT, EVEN HAVING ACCESS TO YES, AND I'M GOOD MOMENT TO BRING YOU IN.

HOW ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN SHOT A VULNERABLE TO REOCCURRING INCIDENCE OF GUN VIOLENCE?

I MEAN, YOU JUST SHARE YOUR STORY.

>> YEAH, I MEAN, GOES BACK TO THAT EMOTIONAL, A PIECE TO WRITE AND FEELING LEFT OUT.

ALL THESE THIS INVESTMENTS THAT THEY DO IN OUR COMMUNITIES, FROM HOSPITALS TO THERAPY TO PROVIDES A LEVEL OF ANGER AND ONCE YOU'RE MAD, YOU'RE A LOT EASIER JUST TO RETALIATE OR STAY IN YOUR FEELINGS ON MANY OF INDIVIDUALS THAT I KNOW MEDICATING THEMSELVES AND GO A