Saint Francis Holds Event in Honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day
June 3, 2026Categories: Events
On Friday, June 5, Saint Francis Hospital hosted its annual ceremony honoring of National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The event remembers victims of gun violence and raises awareness of the important day. Community partners were joined by local and state leaders in Chawla Auditorium for the speaking program, led by Kelly Tyler, MD, Chair of Surgery at Saint Francis.
(L to R) U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal; Jackie Santiago, COMPASS Youth Collaborative; Meredith Sommerville, MD, Trauma Medical Director; Kelly Tyler, MD, Chair of Surgery; Amy Mickolite, Manager, Spiritual Care; State Representative Doug McCrory; Olivia Peck, CT Against Gun Violence; Elisha Bailey, Hartford Communities That Care; Mike Fallon, Director of Outreach for U.S. Senator Chris Murphy.
Meredith Sommerville, MD, Trauma Medical Director, spoke on behalf of Saint Francis, recognizing the collaboration between the hospital and community organizations, as well as the medical team who cares for victims of violence in the Emergency Department. Several community organizations were represented, including COMPASS Youth Collaborative, Hartford Communities That Care and CT Against Gun Violence. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and State Representative Doug McCrory were also on hand.
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.