Why it’s time to rethink the ‘last place you’d expect a shooting’ narrative

By Lauren Hodges, NPR | July 7, 2022

Stoneleigh Fellow Jessica Beard spoke to NPR about the media’s role in gun violence narratives.

Parade attendees in Highland Park were still hiding from the gunshots, looking for their loved ones and cleaning blood off their faces when reactions like this started circulating online:

“Before anyone says anything about this being ‘typical for Chicago,’ Highland Park is not Chicago,” wrote one Twitter user. “Different area, different county, completely different place. Any Chicagoland local will tell you that the north shore is probably the last place we would expect this.”

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Jessica H. Beard, MD,… Stoneleigh Fellow

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The Stoneleigh Foundation was founded in 2006 by John and Chara Haas to improve the life outcomes of our community's youth. We meet our mission by awarding Fellowships to exceptional leaders who advance change in the systems that serve these young people.

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We award two types of Fellowships to exceptional individuals who work within and alongside youth-serving systems to catalyze change. Our Fellows undertake projects that enhance how systems work together, improve practice, and generate new knowledge through action-oriented research.