Houston – Last week, as the nation learned of the senseless shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two school staff members were murdered, the Harris County Commissioners Court passed a resolution to designate June as Gun Violence Awareness Month.
The number of mass shootings across the country continues to grow. More than 110 Americans are killed with guns, and more than 200 are shot and wounded every day. In barely five months since the start of this year, the Uvalde shooting marked the 212th mass shooting.
“We cannot talk about addressing violent crime and mass shootings without talking about the role that guns play in fueling it,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. “We know that when it comes to saving lives in Harris County, preventing easy access to weapons of war and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people is just one part of the solution. Beyond the historic levels of funding, we’ve already allocated for public safety, we must also continue to invest in public health and other smart solutions that prevent gun violence from happening in the first place.
“June is Gun Violence Awareness Month and Harris County Public Health, along with Harris County leadership, encourages residents to join us in peaceful unity to curb gun violence and promote safety in our communities,” Judge Hidalgo added.
Harris County Public Health (HCPH) encourages residents to wear an article of orange clothing or accessory – such as a shirt, scarf, hat or pin – during Gun Violence Awareness Day on Friday, June 3, to commemorate victims of gun violence.
In 2021, HCPH’s Community Health and Violence Prevention Services (CHVPS) Division was established to provide interventions designed to address the root causes of pressing public safety challenges, such as violence, through a public health approach.
CHVPS is working with local partner agencies and organizations to identify areas where violence is most prevalent, address non-violent incidents that can be resolved peacefully and provide resources to victims of violence.
During the month of June, HCPH will be holding events in specific locations throughout Harris County to raise awareness about gun violence.