“Two kids in the wrong place at the wrong time who both lost their lives. I mean one fatally, and one to the system.”

WNYC reporter Kathleen Horan talks about her reporting project, "In Harm's Way", profiling the lives of every child killed by gun violence in New York City.

"I never worried about my son - I lived here all my life and never thought something like this would happen to my son," said Arlene Delgado. Her 16-year-old son, Rafael Sadonte Ward, Jr., was shot in the chest on his way to get a slice of pizza.

The massacre in Newtown has sparked a national debate about gun control. But usually, when a child falls victim to gun violence, it’s not in a comfortable suburb, and its coverage is confined to the metro page. At New York Public Radio, our producing station, reporter Kathleen Horan’s current assignment is to profile every child killed by a gun in New York City. Her series is called In Harm’s Way. Kathleen talks to Brooke about her project. 

Kronos Quartet - Tiliboyo ('Sunset')

Xavier Granville, 17, was shot and killed on the last Friday of the year as he left a birthday party in Queens. The exuberant teen, who lived with his mother and stepdad in Far Rockaway, was known for his mastery at X-Box video games and devouring a bowl of cereal after eating a four-course meal.

+ Complete Series: In Harm's Way

Russian President Putin is expected to sign a law banning the adoption of Russian children by Americans. The move is creating stress for prospective parents in New York and around the country.

The city's largest police union rolled out an ad campaign last week to focus on the more heroic aspects of the work cops do. Union officials said Hurricane Sandy presented the NYPD with a unique opportunity to counteract some of negative press over the past year.

David Maxwell, 66, drowned when the storm surge from Sandy rushed in from the shore and swallowed his yellow bungalow in Midland Beach on Staten Island. His body wasn’t found until 11 days after the storm.

Maria Castro, 39, who nicknamed her son Jay Jay, lovingly remembered that — without fail — he would lose a sock a night. It’s why, she said, she buried her first born in a special denim outfit — and one sock.

WNYC is profiling the life of every child in the city killed by gunfire in our series In Harm’s Way.

A five-year-old Bronx girl was shot in the stomach by a bullet police say was fired by her 18-year-old neighbor – a teen who lives around the corner in the Tremont section of the borough.

Mormons are among the many faith-based organizations who've pitched in to assist in the post-Sandy relief effort. More than 5,000 are expected to volunteer this weekend in areas affected by the storm. Members say the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's tradition of preparedness has helped mobilize both volunteers and supplies quickly.

In the aftermath of the storm, thousands of police officers were assigned to extended tours of duty in parts of the city without power or to help keep order at the gas pumps. The NYPD said crime dipped in the days since Sandy, and according to the Office of Court Administration, so did the number of summonses.

Ed Shevlin, a 20-year veteran of the city's sanitation department, recently took a brief break from his 12-hour shift to try and figure out how he could get a replacement car for the one he lost in the storm. His elderly parents were also hospitalized as a result of Sandy.

Some residents in areas hard hit by Sandy say they’ve been left on their own to cope with the severe damage inflicted by the storm — supplies are limited and help has been slow to reach them. It may seem uncharacteristic, but the New York Police Department’s Emergency Service Unit has been doing more than its usual tactical support or rescues.

The storm related closure of four hospitals in the city has left many expectant patents wondering where they’ll be delivering their babies in the coming weeks.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said officers are working longer shifts — and police say they have tapped the Organized Crime Control Bureau for additional officers on the ground, are using recruits to man some intersections have relied on NYPD school security to help staff city-operated shelters.

The city's first responders continue to face a huge task as the area digs out from superstorm Sandy.

More than 300 New Yorkers showed up to express their feelings on the controversial police tactic of stop-and-frisk at a City Council Civil Rights Committee hearing Tuesday night.

For months, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been pushing for the presidential candidates to offer their solutions to gun violence. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney addressed the issue for the first time during the debates. But neither candidate offered many specifics to the chagrin of Bloomberg.

Civil rights groups on Monday began making their case in U.S. District Court to limit a citywide policy that allows the police department to patrol more than 10,000 private buildings.