Illinois Memorial Wall

Remember • Honor • End gun violence

Illinois · Children under 18 · In memoriam

Illinois Memorial Wall

The children of Illinois whose lives were taken by gunfire, by guns left unsecured and laws left unwritten. We carve their names here, we speak them every month to the people elected to protect them, and we keep counting until the count stops rising.

207Children remembered

44Lost in 2026

26of 102 counties

Help and resources

For families who are grieving, for parents keeping children safe, and for anyone ready to act in Illinois. All help and resources

Grief and crisis support

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988, any time, for yourself or for someone you are worried about.
Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Families of a child killed by gunfire can apply to the state for help with funeral costs, counseling and other expenses.
VictimConnect Resource Center Confidential help finding victim services near you. Call or text 1-855-484-2846.
The Compassionate Friends Support for families after the death of a child, with local chapters in every state.
The Dougy Center Grief support for children and teens, including brothers and sisters, and a finder for programs near you.
Everytown Survivor Network Peer support groups and events for people whose lives have been touched by gun violence.

Safe storage

Be SMART for Kids Five steps every adult can take: secure guns, model safe handling, ask about guns where children play, recognize the role of guns in suicide, and tell others.
Guns in the home (American Academy of Pediatrics) Pediatricians' advice on storing guns locked, unloaded and apart from ammunition.
Free gun locks (Project ChildSafe) Find a local police department that hands out free cable locks. A program of the firearm industry's trade association.

Gun buybacks and safe surrender

Turn in a gun to your local police Many police and sheriff's departments will take an unwanted gun at no cost and destroy it. Call the non-emergency number first and ask how to bring it in: unloaded, locked, and in the trunk. Never carry a gun into a station unannounced.
Guns to Gardens (RAWtools) A national network of faith and community groups that takes donated guns, disables them, and forges them into garden tools. Donate a gun or find an event.

Take action

Write to your officials in Illinois Enter your address, find your legislators and members of Congress, and send them a letter in a minute.
Where Illinois' officials stand See how many letters each official has been sent, what they said, and who has not answered.
Follow bills in the Illinois General Assembly Track the bills your legislators are voting on this session.
Moms Demand Action Volunteer chapters in every state that meet with lawmakers and testify at hearings.
Students Demand Action Student-led groups working for safer schools and communities.
Sandy Hook Promise Free school programs that teach students and adults to recognize warning signs and speak up.
Brady National organization working on gun safety in courts, legislatures and communities.
Giffords Research on gun laws state by state, and campaigns to change them.

Data and research

Illinois law today

Holds the gun industry to a standard of responsible conduct (since 2023).
Holds adults responsible when a child gets hold of a gun they left unsecured.
Background checks on every gun sale.
An extreme risk (red flag) law to temporarily remove guns from someone in crisis.

Gun laws in Illinois How Illinois compares with other states on gun laws and gun deaths.
Gun Violence Archive Daily records of shootings across the country, and a source for this wall.
CDC WISQARS Official national data on firearm injuries and deaths by state, age and cause.
RAND Gun Policy in America An independent review of the research on which gun policies work.

Taken2Young is not affiliated with these organizations. Law summary as of October 2026, from Giffords Law Center and Everytown.