In 2020, more than 5,100 people under 18 were shot, and more than 1,300 died. And this year looks even worse. As of early September, firearm fatalities were up 13%, and more children and teens had been shot than at the same time last year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit data collection and research group that uses a combination of police statistics and media reports. Public health professionals, violence interrupters and researchers said the rise is due to a confluence of factors exacerbated by the pandemic, resulting in higher rates of unintentional shootings, suicides and homicides with children caught in the crossfire. Communities in some of the areas most affected by gun violence are grappling with the trauma of the surge and calling for investments in their youth to stem the cycle of violence. "It’s time for a change. Something’s gotta give" said Clarence Williams, whose 5-year-old son, Clareon, was shot after a spray of bullets ripped through the window of the family's first-floor apartment.