Video: Young People's DIY Gunshot Wound Treatment On Chicago's South Side

Chicago had nearly 3,500 gunshot victims in 2017, with gun violence driven by a lengthy history of poverty, racial discrimination, and disinvestment in black communities. Ambulances in the city have long response times, and the south side has a lack of trauma centers that treat gunshot wounds. Chicago police are also not obligated to provide any care upon arriving at scenes of crimes. Thus, community members are taking matters into their own hands, as the city has done little to help them. Ujimaa Medics trains people as young as 12 in gunshot wound first aid, so that they may be able to help their friends, family, and community members in the first critical moments after being shot. 

Vice correspondent Rodney Lucas talks to Ujimma co-founder Amika Tendaji, as well as several youth who have experienced gun violence. This video is an incredibly and tragic look at how youth have been taking on the responsibilities of a medic in order to keep their community members alive in case of gun violence, which is horrifically common. Ujimaa Medics teach about consent to give first aid and how to deal with police as part of the workshops and trainings. Police misconduct and brutality in the city of Chicago are widely known, and many communities have little trust in police who have historically traumatized their neighborhoods, thus dealing with officers is of high priority with Ujimaa Medics. The group also works to inform people how to prevent and combat asthma attacks, and is working to expand trainings to cover more situations. 

Journey Jamison was able to save a man's life because of her training through Ujimaa. She said that her experience just affirmed that it was the right thing to be doing. And although it is frustrating to have to resort to this kind of effort, she concluded by saying, "I could say that the burden shouldn't be on us, but at the end of the day ... who is losing their mothers and fathers and uncles and cousins? It's us."