“We Carry Guns to Stay Safe” Perspectives on Guns and Gun Violence from Young Adults Living in Chicago’s West and South Sides

Homicide is the leading cause of death for black boys and men ages 15 to 34 in Chicago (Jones et al. 2013). The number of shooting victims in Chicago—3,475 in 2017 alone—is staggering.1 In 2017, Chicago tallied more homicides than New York and Los Angeles combined. The easy availability of guns in Chicago is understood to contribute to the city’s high levels of gun violence (City of Chicago 2017). From January 1 to July 20, 2018, Chicago police recovered more than 5,100 illegal guns.2 Certain neighborhoods in Chicago have been plagued by gun violence for decades (Papachristos 2013). Chicago’s homicides and shootings are most prevalent in communities that are socially and physically isolated, have high rates of poverty and unemployment, and lack community resources.3 In Chicago, these communities are concentrated on the West and South Sides.4