On Friday, June 7, Saint Francis Hospital hosted a ceremony in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The annual event honors victims of gun violence and raises awareness of the important day. Local and state leaders and community partners gathered in Chawla Auditorium for the speaking program, led by David Shapiro, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Saint Francis.
David Shapiro, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, was joined by representatives from several community organizations, along with local and state leaders.
Several community organizations were represented, including COMPASS Youth Collaborative, Hartford Communities That Care, Mothers United Against Violence, CT Against Gun Violence, and States United Against Gun Violence. In addition, representatives from the City of Hartford Hospital Violence Intervention Program were on hand. Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam addressed the audience and issued a proclamation making June 7, 2024 Gun Violence Awareness Day in the City of Hartford. Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz closed out the speaking program.
The national #WearOrange movement was inspired by friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old high school student killed by gunfire in 2013. Hadiya’s friends began wearing orange, the color hunters wear to signal to others not to shoot them. Orange has since become the defining color of gun violence prevention efforts nationwide.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Fatal Injury Data, more than 100 Americans are killed by guns every day, and firearms are listed as the leading cause of death for American children and teens.