"From Victim to Director of a Response - A Catholic Community Response to Violence & Conflict"

In May 1988, Phil Andrew, then a 20-year-old college student, was shot in the chest in the aftermath of the Hubbard Woods elementary school shooting in Winnetka—one of the nation’s first modern mass school shootings.

Andrew survived his injuries, but the experience would ultimately shape his priorities and his career. In the 30 years since the shooting, he has dedicated his life to fighting violence—first as the executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence and later as an FBI agent and crisis negotiator.

In February 2018, Andrew was appointed by Cardinal Blase Cupich to serve as the first director of violence prevention for the Archdiocese of Chicago. In his new role, he is leading the strategic planning and directing of the Archdiocese’s antiviolence initiatives through coalition building efforts, an increased charitable presence in distressed neighborhoods and the development and revitalization of programs designed to help reduce the violence-causing cycle of despair, racism and poverty in Chicago.