Wounded City The Commercial Appeal

Reginald Johnson Jr. admits he’s not your typical former gang member. He was raised by two loving parents who provided he and his brother a stable home life. But still, Johnson joined a gang at 13. Today, he's given up that life after his brother, also a gang member, was murdered. And Johnson now says people who live that life are "idiots." His father, Reginald Sr., is still dealing with the emotions of losing a son, but has vowed to work in their Frayser neighborhood to find a route for kids to take instead of gang life.

Some days you will find Eddie Brooks preaching and playing guitar at his church in the portion of Memphis known as Smoky City. Other days he’s working to better his community and create opportunities for his neighbors. And, as he tells Marc Perrusquia, there are days Brooks is a witness to violence in the streets and even on the front porch of his home and it makes him long for the days when differences were settled with fists, not guns.

Numbers show the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center is a life-saving facility when it comes to victims of violent crime. Marc Perrusquia asks Dr. Martin Croce, medical director of the unit, why mortality rates are improving. And Dr. Croce sees a disturbing trend with the gunshot victims the facility treats. Also, Dr. Louis Magnotti reminds us the long road to recovery for many only starts with their treatment at The Med.

Stanley Stanback is a hard-working mechanic and repo man. But a mistake he made in his younger years has left him a felon where he can’t legally own or possess a firearm. Stanley tells Marc Perrusquia his story of losing a son to murder, the perils of buying an illegal gun on the street and where you can easily go and buy one. Plus, how a random attack outside his mother’s Frayser home almost made him another number in the city’s homicide statistics.

Do aggravated assaults lead to a higher crime rate in the city? Don Crowe, head of investigative services with the Memphis Police Department discusses with investigate reporter Marc Perrusquia, plus explains how the department determines the total number of aggravated assaults. Also, Crime Stoppers founder and executive director Buddy Chapman explains what he thinks the city is doing wrong in dealing with crime.

Over the last 10 years, Memphis has had more than 1,500 people killed and nearly 5,000 taken to hospitals for firearm-related assaults. And the numbers show it’s getting harder to solve violent crime. Investigative reporter Marc Perrusquia talks to Don Crowe with the Memphis Police Department's investigative services about the roadblocks police encounter when trying to solve a homicide. Plus, Buddy Chapman with Crime Stoppers says violent crime, unfortunately, has helped his organization grow.