NEW YORK (PIX11) — As violent shootings continue to plague the nation, communities in New York are kicking off gun violence awareness day by coming together.
In East Harlem, the group, “Stand Against Violence East Harlem,” will hold a community event with resources, food, and fun activities. There will also be a rally against gun violence featuring community leaders and anti-gun violence activists.
Wear Orange is a part of the gun violence awareness campaign. It honors Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed days after performing at the parade for President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. The campaign started on June 2, 2015—what would have been Hadiya’s 18th birthday.
On Capital Hill, Democrats unveiled legislation to establish a new Federal Gun Violence Prevention Office to help coordinate information about shootings in the United States.
Lawmakers say the new federal office would ensure cooperation in collecting, analyzing and sharing gun violence data.
In New York, last year Mayor Eric Adams formed a Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
This initiative addresses the root causes of gun violence to prevent shootings before they take place. So far this year, there’s been more than 200 mass shootings, according to Gun Violence Archive. More than 50 people a day are killed in the United States by a gun.
Throughout Friday and into the weekend, there are several events happening around the region to observe Gun Violence Awareness Day, drawing attention to the problem, which many say is preventable.
