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A resolution recognizing Friday June 7, 2024, as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Nashville and Davidson County.
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WHEREAS, every day, 120 Americans are killed by gun violence and more than 200 are shot and wounded, with an average of nearly 18,000 gun homicides every year; and
WHEREAS, Americans are 26 times more likely to die by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries; and
WHEREAS, Tennessee has approximately 1,385 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 20.1 deaths per 100,000 people. This crisis that costs the state $18.0 billion each year, of which $415.5 million is paid by taxpayers. Tennessee has the 12th highest rate of gun deaths in the US; and
WHEREAS, gun homicides and assaults are concentrated in cities, with more than half of all firearm related gun deaths in the nation occurring in 127 cities; and
WHEREAS, cities across the nation, including in Nashville, are working to end the senseless violence with evidence-based solutions; and
WHEREAS, protecting public safety in the communities they serve is elected officials' highest responsibility; and
WHEREAS, support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns away from people with dangerous histories; and
WHEREAS, mayors and law enforcement officers -in partnership with local violence intervention activists and resources -know their communities best, are the most familiar with local criminal activity and how to address it, and are best positioned to understand how to keep their citizens safe; and
WHEREAS, gun violence prevention is more important than ever as we see an increase in firearm homicides, and nonfatal shootings across the country, increased calls to domestic violence hotlines, and an increase in city gun violence;
WHEREAS, in January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton was tragically shot and killed at age 15; and on June 7, 2024, to recognize the 27th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton (born: June 2, 1997), people across the United Sta...
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