Author: staff

Healthcare workers (seated) Karyn Lyons, left, and Linda Hempfling, draw up doses of the COVID-19 vaccine while Gov J.B. Pritzker speaks with Mark Pfister, right, the Lake County Health Department’s executive director, and other politicians at the drive-thru vaccination location set up inside of the Lake County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 in Grayslake. Gov Pritzker toured the center, spoke with healthcare officials and commented on the status of vaccinations in Illinois. He also complimented the Biden administration on their communication and commitment to greater pandemic efforts. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

“When COVID happened, it compounded the situation, and made it more comfortable to say, ‘It’s OK now,’” said Armstrong. “‘Because I ain’t gotta work, ain’t nobody hiring anyway.’ That false reality of, ‘As soon as they open the city up, I’m going to get me a job.’ It’s not going to happen like that.”

On the first day of summer, McGhee visited Lane; the mother and son talked about the future. A few hours later, shortly before 7 p.m. June 20, McGhee and a friend were shot near the Western Blue Line after running away from a few men, one of whom reached into his waistband for a gun.

The ensemble of Black and Latinx string players brings their instruments to the scenes of tragedy — shootings, usually. But also suicides, overdoses, car accidents. They play concerts around the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. They play a song for each stage, plus a sixth song for what Hallmon calls a sixth stage of grief: faith. They set up away from the crime tape, out of the way of the police, but close enough for the neighbors to hear them.