Loved the podcast. Excellent research and superb reporting. However!!! Some interviews made me cringe so badly I had to turn the volume all the way down and at times take off my headphones. Guests had their microphones inside their mouths and you could literally hear amplified movements of their tongues!! The lip smacking and all kinds of clicking and swishing of saliva! I cannot articulate how torturous those interviews were. I would have fired the sound engineer if this were my podcast.

I would like to listen to this full podcast, but it starts with episode 2. Where is episode 1?

Very good podcast. Balanced reporting. Only negative comment was on the Attorney Andrea. Clearly biased and detracts from otherwise balanced reporting of the incident and trial.

This is just an annoying iteration of our bs 24 hour news cycle

Covers all aspects of the shooting and the fallout. Lets everyone speak: the defendant, his attorney, people who knew the victim, the former mayor, activists, journalists and more.

Well done. As a side ;), Really good. Wish u had titled ep 23 “verdict,” to keep the suspense.

However, why would you name an episode with the verdict results? I was bummed to see it in advance. Off to start “74 seconds” !!!

Not amazing. Unsubbed.

The spit quality is a off putting and bad first few episodes. Content is good and deep. The big problem is the right question does not come-out. Some cops are good, some bad, but you should not assume police will treat you right. That said, we know if you break the law, get high, and run around with a weapon the cops will not do the right thing. I feel bad for both families and people who listened to this podcast should walk away with an idea to have extra care when in company of police.

This podcast is AMAZING in terms of the quality of reporting and presentation of information. Good balance of representing both sides of this story. The only thing that bothers me is the quality of their microphones. The microphones are so good they intensely pick up the spit moving around in people’s mouths. I had to skip every time stacey talked because all I could hear is the spit moving around in her mouth. Thank the lord she didnt host this; sorry stacey. I’m sure you are a fantastic reporter but you sure are a spitty talker. I also wish they would have expanded on the consent decree and how exactly they planned to reform CPD, and how this compares to past efforts. The whole documentation of gun pulls seems counterproductive to me, and not focused on the core of the issue. I would have been interested in seeing what else they planned to do to reform the CPD.

To continue race as the problem is a narrative that becomes exhausting. Is there a racial divide in America; yes but to continue to drill this into a frame of reference an injustice. We should've focused more on corruption and how the effects of these individuals - selling land rights for money - that's more prevalent.

One of the best podcasts I’ve ever heard. Incredible reporting, great in-depth coverage, and such an important topic and case that deserves to be delved into as they do in this show. Thank you for your work, and for keeping us, the wider population, educated and informed.

Clear, concise, facts laid out. Listeners were allowed to come to their own conclusion.

I love the podcast. Binging on this! Very enjoyable and keeps my attention, or maybe it’s that you can keep my attention better? 🤷‍♀️ Either way, I’m addicted. Maybe I don’t know how, but I’m starting from the beginning. When ex. Episode 4 ends, automatically plays the one below it, episode 3. How do I how can I make it have 1 at the top so it plays in order? It’s really annoying cause my hands are always full or dirty. Please let me know if there is a way.

Very well done!

Very well done!!

This podcast was told very well. It made me wrestle with both sides of our great American shame, racism. I wish some of the segments were longer. A great listen.

Wow. This just helped to open my eyes (woke?) to the absolute ridiculousness and prevalence of institutional racism. A very sad and infuriating but oh so important story. Optics matter!!

The first episode was phenomenal, featuring interviews with the suspect officer as well as friends and family of Laquan McDonald — as nuanced as an episode of Serial or This American Life. The subsequent episodes are daily coverage of the trial as it happened and still provide useful context on top of the events. Even listening to it months after the trial is incredibly interesting.

How could he pray for a child, a young man he emptied his clip into? What is he praying for? WHY CANT THE VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND ADVOCATES GO AFTER THE COMPANY WHO INSURES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT?

There are far to few instances of the local media holding the polices accountable, especially compared to how slavish local media is when an officer is killed, wounded, or does something that helps people. I mean how many times do we have to hear about the release of the wrongfully convicted before we pay attention to the beginning of the process? Here WBEZ has done a stellar job, not only looking at the the police, but also the complicity of local media in their lack of holding the police to any public accountability. We need more in-depth local reporting like this. But we need it consistently, not just when an event like the Laquan McDonald killing. I’m kinda saddened by the lack of prescriptive solutions to police misconduct though.

Thank you for this podcast. The coverage of this case is definitely needed!!

I must have been living under a rock, I was homegrown in Chicago’s Southwest Side, but I’ve been so busy with my own life I felt like I didn’t have time to feel the pain of the city.. so I purposely sold my TV & ignored the news. It’s my Birthday, so I decided to find a podcast to listen to..away from my busy life. Well, this story was presented so well I feel like I was physically present through it all.. leaving me half Blessed I have a Birthday & the other half feeling like I am guilty of murdering my own city’s issues because I felt like I couldn’t change anything, so why listen daily to the bad news... This story has brought a conviction to my ignorance & I’m sorry for BOTH sides (technically speaking from an outsider’s point of view) It’s extremely saddening for the victim’s friends & family, plus people that have to deal with fear of those who should be serving the city & protecting the citizens. 17yrs old & couldn’t walk away & learn from his mistake. Unlike BOTH SIDES, I WAS ABLE walk away free & alive & learn from my mistakes; I’ve had em.. my childhood was NOT easy! But if people die before they can learn, then what’s the point in life? And for the other side, mistakes are made by us all.. some because we have bad days. I WAS ABLE to walk away & learn without going to prison or dying! Van Dike had a bad day, couldn’t fight his demons & he ALSO couldn’t walk away free & learn from his mistake. Both sides lose. If you’re reading this, you were able to walk away from your mistakes & learn from them. I’m speaking to BOTH sides!!

Very good reporting and informative on the case.

Thank you for this excellent in depth reporting of a tragic but historic moment in Chicago’s history. It exposes a wound very deep and divisive I’m sure communities around the world can find similarities and hopefully from which gain wisdom. This podcast provides FACTUAL context for listeners around the world. Which will hopefully help others in Chicago and around make reasonable conclusions about a tragedy that left two lives broken. I came to this podcast with one opinion and walked away with a wider perspective. That’s what I call excellent reporting. Thank you.

I just listened to the trailer of 16 Shots, it is AMAZING! It hooked me right away.

Very well done. Fair reporting and informative. A must listen to learn the depth of this case.

For the excellent coverage of this case! Can you do more? The transparency, education perspective of justice is imperative to progress.

This is a very well done podcast. I can’t find anything “bad” to say about this podcast. The folks in the Windy City really stepped up to the plate with this one.

A great podcast that does it's best to report fairly from all angles.

Detailed. Factual. This podcast does a great job with highlighting corruption in Chicago and what that looks like for the citizens. The host and guest does a great job with breaking things down. Thank you for this!

Thanks for your coverage on this story! It should be all over the news but it’s not. There is no way to justify firing 16 shots at this young man!! It’s an outrage. Unfortunately even though it seems as an open and shut case, these days you never know.

Great story, and very well done. The more recent episodes have been too short; the earlier ones or longer with more content. I wish the current episodes contained more information about what’s happening each day in the trial.

Thank you for this. Headlines right now are not on this story and I’m not sure why. We should all take a moment and hear this. Thank you for your reporting and journalism. Listen. The shots tell THE story that none of us can deny.

Dominican University is sponsoring classroom discussions, open prayers, Racial Healing circles and walk-in counseling to respond with moral clarity and compassion to this tragedy and its impact. This significant coverage helps our community grapple with the complexities of gun violence and policing in Chicago.

Thank you for providing such high quality journalism. I am learning so much.

I am so excited to listen to this! However, when I go to listen it doesn’t play! ☹️ I’ve unsubscribed and re subscribed and it’s still not working.

This podcast would get five stars from me except that even when I download an episode in its entirety before listening, there are little “skips” in the audio where I can miss a whole word during an interview.

Great to hear this case unfold from an unbiased perspective. From someone outside of Chicago, helps me gain perspective on the past and present of law enforcement in the city.

How about the real Chicago story that is never told in the news?? How about the 50+ weekend shootings in the south side, and double digit weekend murders from these deaths? Nah, that doesn’t matter bc it’s almost exclusively black on black crimes, so you all wouldn’t care to report on that. Keep up the good work!

Anyone who cares about Chicago should be listening to this podcast.

Thanks for doing this.

I just listened to the first episode. There was an interview with the officer and quotes from an interview with his wife. I was struck by their tone and narrative. They obviously expect us to feel sympathy for what they have experienced after he shot a 17 year old kid 16 times?! Please. There is no f—king way that was justified. The coverup says it all.

Incredible

Breathtaking, all the way around!

Thank you continuing to cover this horrible tragedy and the institutional problems that led to it.