Polly Stryker/KQED

Gun Violence Comes Home

In 2011, the most recent year for which we have data, 1,255 people died from gunshot wounds in California. That's more than three people a day. Many others are wounded, sometimes turning lives and families upside down. Host Scott Shafer has this story of an Oakland family dealing with the aftermath of a random shooting.

Alice Daniel/KQED

Fresno Program Helps Youth Leave Gang Life

Gun violence isn't just an inner city problem. It's also rampant in the Central Valley, where poverty and high unemployment rates leave some kids turning to life on the streets. One organization in Fresno works to address the issue, but as reporter Alice Daniel found, it's not easy.Reporter: Alice Daniel

Mina Kim/KQED

Survival and Tradition: Why Rural Northern Californians Want Their Guns

As communities in Fresno grapple with keeping gangs and guns off the streets, some residents in the rural, forested ranges of Northern California say guns are a means of survival. With law enforcement an hour away, guns help them scare off bears and burglars, they say.Reporter: Mina Kim

Video by Erin Tracy, Courtesy of The Modesto Bee

Stanislaus School District Takes Cinematic Approach to Safety

After the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut two months ago, school districts across the nation are re-examining their safety procedures drills. And Stanislaus County has taken a novel approach. They've made a movie, an ultra-realistic simulation of a school shooting, complete with blood, guns and frighteningly real assailants.Reporter: Sam Harnett

• More: Watch video from The Modesto Bee
• More: Read The Modesto Bee's article

Photo courtesy of Kristin Anderson

Bringing the Community Together in South L.A.

When Renee Gunter moved to South Los Angeles with her 8-year-old daughter, she didn't realize they were relocating to an area with one of the highest gun violence rates in L.A. But instead of packing up and moving, Gunter decided to bring a sense of community back to her neighborhood. She did it by starting a block party.Reporter: Shuka Kalantari

Additional Resources

More Californians are arming themselves, even as the state's rate of gun-related injuries is going down. California is known for its strict gun control laws -- the strongest in the country, by most accounts. Read more about what these laws are, how well they work and what that means for keeping Californians safe.