Motive

WBEZ Chicago
  • 4.7 (2.2K)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • SERIES
Motive Podcast

Chicago gangs: Real people. Real stories. A way forward. The new season of Motive explores violence on the streets of Chicago and the former gang members working to stop it.

See All

  1. EPISODE 1

    1: After The Gunfire

    Former gang members are out on Chicago’s streets trying to slow the relentless violence. A man shot 11 times hides with his kids at home.

    37 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    2: De/Escalation

    Sirenzo Strong spends his work days trying to talk to gang members in Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood. Part of his turf is the site of a former housing complex, Rockwell Gardens. When former residents return to the old neighborhood, so do the old gang allegiances and grudges.

    35 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    3: Underpaid And Underappreciated

    Gunshot victim Joey struggles to get police to arrest the man he believes seriously wounded him and killed his neighbor. Meanwhile, low-pay and job insecurity make it harder for anti-violence workers to do their jobs and build a life for themselves.

    35 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    4: Getting In And Getting Out

    The gang murder of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams shook Chicago and affected many of the anti-violence workers on the West Side. As former gang members they sympathized with Jaslyn’s dad, Jontae, his desire to spend time with his daughter and how that put her at risk of violence. Jontae still struggles with the guilt. And when he decided to help police catch his daughter’s killers his gang friends turned on him. **Content warning: This episode contains uses of the n-word.

    33 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    5: Collateral Damage

    A 14-year-old boy whose father was wounded in a gang shooting faces down threats of violence and the temptations of joining a gang. Meanwhile, a person who killed one woman and wounded another will avoid criminal charges.

    38 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    6: Aftermath

    Anti-violence worker Cecilia Mannion confronts her desire for revenge after the car her kids are riding in is shot up 20 times. Meanwhile outreach workers in Garfield Park are trying to slow a string of shootings stemming from the theft of an $8,000 necklace. And Joey finally goes to the police station to make an identification, but there are problems.

    40 min

  7. SEASON 5 TRAILER

    'Motive' Season 5 Podcast Trailer

    On the West Side of Chicago, a father is seriously wounded by an apparent gang shooting. The worker who comes out to help him heal mentally and emotionally is a former gang member herself. She is part of a growing army of anti-violence workers fighting to bring peace to the streets of Chicago. In Motive Season 5, WBEZ criminal justice reporter Patrick Smith takes listeners out to the streets where workers are trying desperately to prevent shootings and help the victims of gun violence. Episode 1 coming January 26th. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.

    2 min
See All Season 5 (7)

Trailers

Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
2,209 Ratings

About

Chicago gangs: Real people. Real stories. A way forward. The new season of Motive explores violence on the streets of Chicago and the former gang members working to stop it.

Information

  • Creator
    WBEZ Chicago
  • Episodes
    49
  • Seasons
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 Chicago Public Media
  • Show Website
    Motive

More From WBEZ

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada