This story was produced through Our Stories, Our Power, a community journalism program from Windy City Times and E3 Radio that gives emerging storytellers a platform to report stories for and about their communities.
For most of her life, Ciara Taylor fell asleep just a few feet away from her cousin Justin Gilbert. Their bedrooms sat side-by-side in the home they had always shared—a closeness that made his absence feel even louder after he was shot and killed at just 19 years old.
Now, like so many families across Chicago, Taylor is learning how to navigate grief in the wake of gun violence.
Gun violence has killed nearly 4,000 people in Chicago since 2020, according to Chicago.gov, sending ripple effects through families and communities as they experience trauma and loss. For many survivors—like Taylor—support fades quickly, leaving families to cope largely on their own.
Across the city, some are working to fill that gap by building networks where grief can be acknowledged and shared.
Helping families in the immediate aftermath
One organization working with families after a loss is Block 24, a nonprofit founded in 2020 that supports survivors in the immediate aftermath of gun violence.
The group supports families of victims who were 24 or younger.
“We help families navigate through the entire process from start to finish,” said Dionne, who founded Block 24 after her son, Shannon Steward Jr., was shot and killed in West Englewood in 2020 at 24 years old.
Block 24 is with families at the morgue when they identify their loved one’s body and helps them navigate practical matters like insurance and funeral arrangements.
Many families do not have enough money to properly bury their loved ones, often relying on GoFundMe pages and donations to lay people to rest, Dionne said.
The organization also delivers food, water, diapers and other household essentials so grieving families have fewer things to worry about.
“Whatever the families need—we try to show up and be there for them,” Dionne said. “I didn’t know what to do, and I learned that it’s definitely a process, so we do whatever we can.”
But while organizations like Block 24 can help families navigate those first days, the emotional toll of loss often lasts much longer.
The emotional toll of loss
Dionne said she was surrounded by family and friends after her son’s death, which helped her cope through the hardest moments.
But many survivors struggle to find that kind of support, which was the case for Taylor after Gilbert was killed on Oct. 14, 2017, at 19 years old.
Gilbert had just graduated high school and was planning to attend trade school to earn his commercial driver’s license and work for UPS, Taylor said.
“We were really close, so his death hit close to home. I was messed up mentally,” Taylor said.
Three months later, Taylor’s mother died, intensifying her grief.
“I kept a smile on my face, so people did not know I was grieving,” Taylor said.
Dionne said Block 24 works with many survivors who feel alone after a loved one is killed, and she founded the organization to help fill that gap.
“I said to myself, ‘I have to do something,’” Dionne said. “I know I’m stronger than somebody else.”
Keeping memories alive—and building long-term support
Dionne said part of the healing process for many families includes finding ways to honor and remember their loved ones, such as balloon releases that create space for reflection and connection.
“I think it’s important because it gives families an opportunity to stay connected to their loved ones,” Dionne said. “It allows families to still express themselves and show that their love and connection are still there.”
But for many families, the need for support continues long after those early moments.
“The first two weeks, everybody comes around—they’re there, they’re helping you,” said Jasmine Rome, a community support specialist with Chicago Survivors. “Then afterwards they disappear and act like everything is normal—but that major person in their life is gone.”
Chicago Survivors works to fill that gap, providing long-term, wraparound support for families navigating the aftermath of gun violence.
The organization responds within hours of a homicide and offers services including crisis response, case management, grief counseling and legal advocacy.
“We provide holistic care to families from the beginning to the end,” said Deshawn Hill, executive director of Chicago Survivors. “Families need emergency funds to help bury their loved one, but they also need support navigating the system and understanding the resources available to them.”
For many survivors, grief is not just about loss, but about learning how to live with that loss over time.
“They’re coping with the simple fact that that person is gone and never coming back,” Rome said. “And they’re learning how to express their feelings without feeling like they’re a burden.”
Spaces that bring survivors together—especially those with shared experiences—can help ease that isolation.
“They’re able to come into this space and speak to someone who has those same feelings,” Rome said. “They create a sense of family among each other.”
Hill said part of that healing also comes from helping families understand their identity in the aftermath of violence.
“When that person dies, you become the victim,” Hill said. “A lot of families don’t realize that they now have rights and deserve support as survivors.”
Hill pointed to Antoinette Mitchell, who lost her son to gun violence in 2016 and later became the board president of Chicago Survivors after participating in its programs.
“She’s the definition of what post-traumatic growth looks like,” Hill said.
Still, healing is not linear—and for many families, it requires ongoing support.
“It’s okay to feel mad. It’s okay to feel scared. It’s okay to not want to be around people,” Rome said. “But it helps to talk to someone.”
As families across Chicago deal with loss, organizations like Block 24 and Chicago Survivors are working to ensure they don’t have to do it alone.
“They are survivors,” Hill said. “They are worthy of care. They deserve to be seen and heard.”
About Our Stories, Our Power: Our Stories, Our Power is a six-week community journalism program led by Windy City Times and E3 Radio that trains emerging storytellers in reporting stories for and about their communities. The program is made possible by a grant from Press Forward Chicago, with support from Columbia College Chicago.
Interested in supporting a future cohort of Our Stories, Our Power? Contact Jake Wittich, managing editor of Windy City Times, at jake@windycitytimes.com.