Gun violence is an issue that extends far beyond the Chicago area in Illinois.

At least 100 people died from gunfire over the past three years and at least 500 were wounded, according to data obtained from a sample of police departments of eight cities in downstate Illinois.

The data, obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, is kept in different formats and is often incomplete. Yet the data show that gun violence has been a chronic issue over the past decade and that some cities have seen recent surges in shootings.

Illinois Newsroom used this data and other reporting to tell stories about gun violence in Illinois.

Among the stories:

https://cu-citizenaccess.web.illinois.edu/2018/05/14/police-data-show-gun-violence-a-chronic-growing-problem-across-illinois/

https://cu-citizenaccess.web.illinois.edu/2018/05/21/how-to-stop-gun-violence-just-ask/

https://cu-citizenaccess.web.illinois.edu/2018/05/21/down-the-hill-violence-often-rooted-in-inequality/

https://cu-citizenaccess.web.illinois.edu/2018/05/21/how-schools-can-help-kids-traumatized-by-gun-violence/

https://cu-citizenaccess.web.illinois.edu/2018/05/21/suicide-a-driver-of-gun-deaths-in-rural-america/