Gun violence claiming more lives of American teens, children

Police said she was the unintended victim of a bullet meant for someone else.

Police have not said if they know of a motive and are seeking information from the public.

Jamari Williams and Kentrell McNeal, both 15-year-old students at Simeon Career Academy High School in Chicago, were killed in separate shootings on Sept.

At Philadelphia’s Simon Gratz High School Mastery Charter, five students were killed and nine others were shot or shot at during the last school year.

Just weeks into the new school year, two students and a recent graduate have been killed.

The school offers a space for memorials to slain students, often helps with funeral expenses and offers counseling services.

we have gotten really good at that,” principal Le’Yondo Dunn said.

Louis Children’s Hospital, said she and her staff often see repeat victims.

“It’s not uncommon that we see a child with a big scar and we say, ‘What happened?’ and they say, ‘Oh, I was shot once before,’” Clukies said.

“It’s so frustrating as a medical provider because we obviously pride ourselves in taking amazing care of kids and saving lives and fixing lives, but these injuries are preventable,” Clukies said.

She didn’t know that lifestyle.”.

Shaquille Barbour of Philadelphia was killed June 6, a week before his high school graduation — shot 13 times as he rode his bike home from a corner store.

“I don’t think people know how hard it is, not to want to retaliate,” he said.

Studies have shown that victims of violence are at an elevated risk of becoming violent themselves

Louis Children’s Hospital developed its Victims of Violence program that seeks to reduce recidivism by pairing surviving shooting victims with mentors and offering counseling, mediation and a link to social service agencies

In Philadelphia, Chief Inspector Frank Vanore said police also monitor social media and if they’re aware of a feud, a team of officers and community leaders meet with those involved in the dispute

A pilot program this year at Philadelphia’s Simon Gratz high will provide intensive services to students in danger of becoming a victim — or a perpetrator — of gun violence

“We are going to have capacity to get about 60 students into the program but with the number of students we’ve lost, the amount of violence and guns that Philadelphia is seeing, we know there will be more students who need this program than we can get in,” Dunn said

“We know it.”