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Articles by Joy Resmovits
I Wore Cowboy Boots on Air Force Two.
Your resident rodent journalist controlled what she could: her hair. Clint Ramos can tell how a person smells just by looking at them. As he scrolls the social web, he sometimes watches a woman cooking Velveeta in a crockpot. He can tell that she’s making recipes that probably aren’t nourishing. Still, he trusts her. “I trust not that you’re going to give me a healthy meal, but … that I’m looking at a real human being,” he said.
A Satire of America’s Gun Debate
The Trace Guns are one of the most polarizing issues in the United States — and, naturally, there have been many projects with the goal of bridging the divide. I’ve never seen one quite like “Good Guy with a Gun!” before, though. “Good Guy with a Gun!” is a new theatrical concept album that pokes fun at both sides of the gun debate.
The Data on Gunshot Wound Hospitalizations Among Florida Kids
The Trace From 2018 to 2024, more than 4,000 children ages 17 or younger were hospitalized for firearm injuries in Florida, hospital billing data obtained from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration shows. That’s a rate of about 1.5 kids hospitalized per day. An exclusive analysis of hospital data by KFF Health News and The Trace found that overwhelmingly, these children come from a tiny number of ZIP codes.
New Musical Release ‘Good Guy With a Gun!’ Satirizes America’s Gun Debate
The Trace LOS ANGELES — With the power of the pen, the tension of a string-dominant orchestra, and a celebrity cast featuring Chris Sullivan, Kimiko Glenn, Jason Alexander, Richard Kind, Anthony Rapp, and Vic Michaelis, singer-songwriter Philip Labes and his collaborators end the Second Amendment.
Designed to Disappear
The light is ready when we are. Two weeks ago, I told you a story about a shy kid, and I used the word “I” more times in one essay than I have in 15 years of writing and editing news. It felt weird. It feels weird. Even in writing this newsletter, which is clearly a communication from me to you and not part of some third-party publication with its own standards, it feels wrong to use first-person language.
Meet the gunshot survivors who are healing through wheelchair basketball with the Chicago Hornets
This story was originally published by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence in America. Sign up for its newsletters here. It happens every summer. As the heat rolls in, Juan Ortiz sees more and more shootings on the news in Chicago. But where some might see hopelessness, Ortiz sees an opportunity for connection. He thinks to himself: "I'm gonna meet a couple of those people. Those are potential teammates." Ortiz is a member of the Chicago Hornets, a wheelchair basketball team.
Tips for Navigating Gun Violence Stats
The Trace Nearly 200 journalists and their peers gathered online on February 4 to learn best practices for analyzing crime data and receive tips on questioning official narratives at a moment when the federal government is scaling back funding for research on gun violence. The online event was convened by The Trace and the Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center’s The Journalist’s Resource.
CBS News Chicago Debuts Documentary Series on Life After a Gunshot Wound
The Trace This week, CBS News Chicago launched “Miracle Shots,” a new series on surviving gun violence. Produced in partnership with The Trace, “Miracle Shots” shows what life is like for the thousands of gunshot wound victims in Chicago as told in survivors’ own voices. The first installment aired on Sunday, August 31, and is streaming online here. The episode is focused on Marlon English, a survivor who first told his story publicly through The Trace’s Chicago survivor storytelling project.
The changing road from the regionals to Broadway
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How Chicago Drill Artists Hacked the Conversation about Gun Violence
The Trace For more than a decade, city leaders helped to prevent Chicago drill rapper Chief Keef from performing in his hometown. In 2015, then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel felt so strongly that Keef was an “unacceptable role model” whose music “promotes violence” that he wouldn’t even let him perform via hologram. Emanuel’s affront echoed sentiments from critics — then and now — who argue that drill rap glorifies gun violence and criminality.
A Violent Weekend in Philly Reminded Me of Each Shooting’s Toll
The Trace Throughout 2024, I’ve felt good about the steady decline of shootings and firearm related fatalities in our city. But the violent weekend that began on Friday, December 13 — exactly 12 days before Christmas — left me feeling disheartened. At least 25 people were shot, four fatally, over the course of those three days, starting with a shooting near the Christmas Village at City Hall’s Dilworth Park. My colleague Mensah M.
‘Brothers in Grief’ Explores the Toll of Gun Violence on Philadelphia Youth
The Trace One Saturday in November 2017, just days after Thanksgiving, Maxayn Gooden received one of the worst phone calls imaginable. The Harrisburg Police Department called to confirm that her son, JahSun Patton, had been shot to death. Patton, 18, was a Philadelphia high school senior with a promising future. He was looking forward to attending college and playing collegiate football. Patton was known for always smiling and his willingness to lend a helping hand.
Listen to ‘Roots and Realities,’ a Series on Gun Violence in Philadelphia
The Trace Earlier this month, Philadelphia staff writer Mensah M. Dean published Roots and Realities, a three-part series about the causes and consequences of gun violence in Black America.
Philadelphia Will Install Bulletproof Glass to Protect Bus Drivers
The Trace In October 2023, as gun violence in Philadelphia was starting to decline, retired military veteran Bernard N. Gribbin, 48, became the first city transit operator to die from gunfire while working. A 21-year-old female passenger shot him multiple times in the neck and torso after she stepped off his bus in the city’s Germantown neighborhood. The police quickly apprehended her, and she’s awaiting trial. Gribbin’s death was a stark reminder of the city’s enduring gun violence problem.
How Standard Practices Can Exacerbate Gun Violence Victims’ Grief
The Trace Grieving a loved one is hard enough in itself — and when a loved one is taken by violence, America’s often harsh systems of justice can compound the loss. For Estela Díaz, a participant in this year’s Chicago Survivor Storytelling Project, that loss was literal. After her son, Zadkiel, was shot and killed, the police wouldn’t let her touch his body. “I’m so sorry,” she said an officer told her, “but he is a piece of evidence.” They kept Zadkiel for 10 days.
‘The Voices That Really Matter’: Listen to the Chicago Storytellers Speak on Surviving Violence
The Trace As survivors in The Trace’s Chicago Storytelling Workshop prepared to publish their essays this year, a new partner joined the gathering. Michelle Navarro, a producer for City Cast Chicago, recorded the group’s final meeting and interviewed participants.
Joy Resmovits Archives
Skip to content Close Gun violence journalism that informs and empowers. Your gift makes The Trace’s reporting possible. Give today to sustain our work. Donate Now Investigating gun violence in America. Donate Joy Resmovits As senior editor for local impact, Joy is steering the launch of The Trace’s local reporting initiative, managing reporters covering Chicago and Philadelphia.
My Children Were Killed in Different Neighborhoods. Only One of Their Deaths Seemed to Matter.
The Trace Before my children were killed, I wasn’t able to fall asleep until they came home. Now I can’t sleep at all. On January 17, 1992, my daughter Tyesa was the unintended victim of a gang-involved shooting in the Gold Coast neighborhood, just a few blocks from one of Oprah Winfrey’s houses. The murderer, a 14-year-old boy, was caught and sentenced to 50 years. Tyesa died instantly, but the story of her death lived on in the news for months.
It Took 25 Years to Put Together the Missing Pieces of My Siblings’ Murders
The Trace The medical examiner described my sister’s body as cold to the touch. Her body suffered multiple gunshot wounds. One on the left ear 5 inches below the top of the head, one 4 inches below the top of the head on the left ear, a graze wound to the left side of her neck, and a graze wound to the left shoulder. The medical examiner described my brother’s body as cold to the touch. His body suffered from multiple gunshot wounds.
The First Step in Solving Gun Violence? Supporting Survivors
The Trace On November 10, 2019, my son Jacob woke up early, did laundry, and finished painting the room he and his girlfriend were preparing for the birth of their first child. A few hours later, he was shot while driving in Little Village. It was the middle of the day. Five years later, I know he was the unintended target, but I still don’t know who did it.
My Son Was Shot and Killed. The Justice System Took His Body
The Trace When I saw my son’s lifeless body, abreathing tube hanging from his mouth, I wanted to run to himand embrace him. Before I could move, apolice officer stopped me. “You can’t touch him,” he said. “I’m so sorry, but he is a piece of evidence.” I begged him to let me hug my son for the last time. What more could they find from that embrace than the fingerprints of his mother? How, I wondered, could that contaminate their investigation?
My Community Had No Support Groups for Gun Violence Survivors. So I Started My Own.
The Trace I’ll never forget what the pastor said in a Bible class I attended two weeks after my son was shot and killed, “Gun violence won’t take you and yours out.” I looked at the girl sitting next to me and said: “Too late. It happened.” Then, I walked out. All my life, church has been where I go when I have a problem. I knew the pastor had probably said something like that before. This time, it took me out, because I couldn’t understand why God didn’t protect me. I knew I needed more help.
If a Trauma Center Had Been Closer, My Best Friend Might Still Be Alive
The Trace I always thought Junior and I would go to college together, that we’d be roommates after school. I always thought our kids would grow up together. Instead, when he was 19, I lost my very best childhood friend. On Dec. 30, 2012, Junior was shot along with two other people. His friends were shot in the shoulder and jaw and in the back, and Junior was shot in the abdomen, but there was no trauma center nearby. Blood loss, his family said, was a major factor in his passing.
Chicago Promised Better Mental Health Care. Shooting Survivors Say They Haven’t Seen It.
The Trace One cold night, Juan Rendon picked up a quiet young man on the South Side of Chicago. The rideshare passenger wore all black, with a ski mask covering his face. Eventually, he asked, “Hey, sir, could I ask you a question?” Rendon responded, “Sure, go ahead buddy, what’s up?” He asked, “What do you think about death?” The young man shared that he had lost his uncle two days earlier and didn’t know how to cope. Rendon was familiar with sudden loss.
When Police Keep Your Loved One’s Body as Evidence
The Trace In her heart-wrenching essay for The Trace, Estela Díaz chronicles the devastating moments after her 18-year-old son, Fernando Zadkiel Vega Díaz, was shot and killed. As Zadkiel lay in his hospital bed, Díaz begged police officers for the chance to hug her son one last time. They apologized, but ultimately refused, saying Zadkiel was now “evidence” in a murder investigation. Díaz would have to say goodbye from several feet away.
‘We Can Still Hear Each Other’: The Loss Only a Sibling Knows
The Trace For years, Elizabeth Ramirez has hosted a monthly support group for grieving mothers. It’s part of her work leading Parents for Peace and Justice, a violence prevention organization she co-founded after her son, Harry Rodriguez, was shot and killed at his surprise birthday party in 2011. A few months ago, Ramirez invited the mothers’ partners and children to join the meetings. This choice ultimately led her to rethink her approach to addressing community violence.
Life in Poverty, Punctuated by Gun Violence
The Trace Walter Palmer, 90, vividly recalls how poverty stalked him — first, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he was born, and then in Philadelphia, where his family moved to escape the low-wage, seasonal work many Black people were relegated to in the oceanside city. It pushed him into the juvenile delinquency that brought him in contact with a firearm. Born in North Philly nearly 40 years after Palmer, Donnell Drinks, 51, grew up in similar circumstances.
Chicago Officials Promised to Support Shooting Survivors, But Many Feel Overlooked.
The Trace During a time when most other mourners take space to grieve, survivors who’ve lost a loved one to gun violence are thrown into a world of paperwork, bureaucracy, and law enforcement interactions they never expected. In 2017, Corniki Bornds’s 19-year-old son, Fontaine Sanders, was shot and killed. While Bornds experienced the pain of her loss, she struggled to find a space to reflect on her grief. “The killings were so frequent that I feel like people didn’t care,” she said.
Navigating the Justice System Is Daunting — Especially If You’re Grieving
The Trace Melinda Abdallah’s son Jacob was shot while driving in Little Village in 2019. In the hospital, detectives questioned his motives for being in the area, and treated his fiancé with disrespect, Abdallah said. The officers’ demeanor changed when they learned that Jacob had grown up not in Little Village, but in the Chicago suburb of Round Lake Beach. Little Village is a predominantly Spanish-speaking community that faces a high number of shootings.
I Know What It Takes to Keep Young Men From Ending Up on Either Side of a Gun
The Trace It was range week, when correctional officers in training learn to use their rifles. I thought I was ready, but at the first target practice, we were told to shoot “center mass.” Twelve years ago, my little brother Tyler was shot in his chest – his “center mass.” Even though eight years had passed, every time I shot that target, all I could see was my brother, in our driveway, getting shot in the chest. “Center mass.” Boom. The floodgates opened. Unresolved trauma poured through.
In Philly’s Black Communities, Gunfire Affects Every Generation
The Trace For most people, Easter is a time for celebration, a reflection on rebirth. For Movita Johnson-Harrell, the holiday evokes feelings that are much more somber. It was on Easter Sunday in 1975 when gun violence claimed the first of five lives in her immediate family. From that night on, violence has been a constant. Her father, her brother, a cousin, and her two sons all have been killed since that day.
The Origin of Philly’s Gun Violence Crisis Goes Back Centuries
The Trace On a frigid winter morning, just steps away from his North Philadelphia school, Faheem Thomas-Childs didn’t stand a chance against the nearly 100 bullets two warring drug gangs fired in his direction. Struck in the face and rendered unconscious, 10-year-old Faheem, who went by “Poppy,” died five days later, on February 16, 2004.
Facing Another Trump Presidency, Philadelphia Vows to Maintain Momentum Against Gun Violence
The Trace Hours before the polls closed on Election Day, Donald Trump posted a claim that “massive cheating” was taking place in Philadelphia. While local officials quickly refuted the allegation, the verbal dustup underscores just how rocky the next four years may be for Philadelphia under the former and future president, who never retracted the erroneous statement.
Philadelphia Shootings Have Dropped to Pre-Pandemic Levels
The Trace Philadelphia’s shootings spiked during the pandemic, killing more than 500 people annually two years in a row. Now, after two straight years of declines in gun violence, the city is poised to move into a new era: With less than two months left in the year, Philadelphia is on track to have fewer homicides and nonfatal shootings than it did before the pandemic.
How Another Trump Presidency Could Affect Gun Violence Prevention in Chicago
The Trace On Wednesday, after news stations declared Donald Trump America’s next president, Chicago trauma surgeon Dr. Tanya Zakrison was in shock. As she continued to process the results, she wondered: What will happen to the billions in federal funding that’s allowing gun violence prevention work, like hers, to take place in her city? “I’m at a loss,” she said.
Three Gun Laws Are Stuck in Pennsylvania’s Senate. Could the Election Change Their Fate?
The Trace For the first time in more than a decade, multiple bills aimed at getting guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous people passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. But now, the three measures are stuck, with the Republican-led Senate all but certain to forgo action on them before the current legislative session ends November 30.
Chicago Trades One Controversial Gun Surveillance Technology for Another
The Trace As Chicago’s shut down following years of controversy about the gunshot detection device, the Chicago Transit Authority is trying out a new tool designed to detect the presence of firearms — this time, through video surveillance. Through a $200,000 pilot, CTA is adding ZeroEyes, a software that uses artificial intelligence and human analysis to scan surveillance footage and alert police to the presence of guns, to its security measures.
Pennsylvania Health Care Workers Unite in Call for Stronger Gun Policies
The Trace A new coalition of Pennsylvania health care professionals is gearing up to press lawmakers and other officials to further reduce shootings across the state, even as gun violence in Philadelphia and elsewhere has declined dramatically this year. Eight leaders of the Pennsylvania Health Professionals to End Gun Violence fielded questions on October 8, at a news conference inside Philadelphia’s City Hall.
A Pastor Forgave the Young Shooter Who Killed His Son. Now, He Helps Others Do the Same.
The Trace Shortly after completing his sentence in federal prison for drug offenses, the Reverend Christobal Kimmenez came face-to-face with the boy who fatally shot his 14-year-old son, William, three years earlier. The unexpected encounter took place in the Maryland juvenile detention facility where the shooter, who was 12 at the time of the slaying, was locked up. Kimmenez, 63, spotted the boy among the young offenders he had been invited to preach to that day in 1998.
Chicago’s Gun Violence Has Gotten Deadlier. Here’s What That Means for Residents.
The Trace Tavares Harrington carries the memory of his 7-year-old niece Heaven Sutton on his sleeve. Her name, tattooed in cursive, sits in front of a dove on his left forearm. On June 27, 2012, as Heaven was playing outside while her mother sold candy and snow cones in front of their home in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, a 33-year-old man fired at least 10 shots. He struck a 19-year-old in the ankle. Heaven ran, but a stray bullet struck her back and killed her.
In Philadelphia, a New School Year Brings Questions About Who’s Accountable for Protecting Students
The Trace As Philadelphia’s students settle into a new academic year, school administrators are tasked, once again, with addressing a persistent problem: gun violence in neighborhoods surrounding schools that threatens to steal or alter the lives of their students. Though significantly fewer young people have been shot this year, three of the city’s most recent victims – a 17-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl who died, and a 15-year-old boy who was in critical condition — were teens.
Philly Moves to Crack Down on Repeat Gun Offenders Before They Fire Their Weapons
The Trace The harrowing home invasion and gunpoint robbery Otis Ryans suffered last summer didn’t initially make the news in Philadelphia, likely because no one died or was injured. No gunshots were fired. Still, when Ryans, 30, speaks of the incident, his voice fills with emotion. He fought back tears at the August 15 news conference where Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that Marquise Alexander, Ryans’s attacker, had been convicted. Ryans and Alexander had been co-workers.
What Chicagoans Want Their Next President to Know About Gun Violence
The Trace In the lead-up to the Democratic National Convention, signs for the event blanket Chicago’s most visible landmarks.
Shootings in Philadelphia Are Down by Nearly 40 Percent. What Does It Mean?
The Trace Though gun violence tends to worsen with the summer heat, Philadelphia is experiencing its most peaceful season in nearly a decade. Through August 11, 440 fewer people had been shot compared to the same time last year, marking a 39.2 percent decline, from the City Controller’s Office. Homicides are also plummeting.
Philadelphia Officials Asked for Help Finding 47 Homicide Suspects. They Aren’t Sure How Many They’ve Caught.
The Trace Last March, Philadelphia’s District Attorney Larry Krasner, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, and the Philadelphia Police Department convened a news conference to announce a new effort to catch homicide fugitives with help from Philadelphians. “Law enforcement cannot hold drivers of gun violence accountable without the public’s assistance,” Krasner said.
Illinois State Legislators Introduced Three Violence Prevention Bills. Why Didn’t They Vote on Them?
The Trace Over the past month, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed over 100 bills. But three gun violence prevention measures that advocates thought could make a difference were not among them: Karina’s Bill, the Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act, and the Homicide Data Transparency Act. Despite being introduced by the start of the year, legislators did not bring these bills up for a vote during the session that ended in late May.
He Fatally Shot a White Man, Claiming Self Defense. Now He’s Charged With Murder.
The Trace Maurice Byrd knows how to handle firearms. In the early 2000s, the U.S. Army deployed him to Afghanistan and Iraq. As a civilian and owner of a barber shop in the Philadelphia suburb of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, he has a license to carry his 9mm Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun, but never had a reason to use the weapon.
In Chicago, ShotSpotter Sparks a Political Power Struggle
The Trace This February, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced his plan to decommission ShotSpotter, a controversial gunshot-detection technology that alerts police to shootings by using hundreds of acoustic sensors throughout the city. Johnson’s plan, which would sunset the technology in November, was the culmination of a years-long debate and a decision applauded by Chicagoans who had long contended that the technology was harmful to their neighborhoods.
How the Trump Rally Shooting Fits Into America’s Gun Violence Crisis
The Trace The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, raised questions about assault rifles, access to ammunition, and gun culture. As we learn more details about the shooting on July 13, which left one attendee dead and wounded Trump and three others, here are five stories from The Trace to help make sense of what happened, and where we go from here. For thousands of Americans, guns have become a part of everyday life.
They Survived the Highland Park Mass Shooting. It Opened Their Eyes.
The Trace It was a beautiful morning in Highland Park two years ago as the small city north of Chicago prepared to hold its first Fourth of July parade since 2020, when COVID-19 put public celebrations on hold. Two friends, Jason Rotter and Martin Rossen, brought their families downtown to celebrate the holiday. The group sat on a curb, with Rotter’s 3-year-old daughter in her father’s arms. They watched first responders march by.
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