A Proclamation of the Pierce County Council and Executive Designating June 2026 as “Gun Violence Awareness Month"

A Proclamation of the Pierce County Council and Executive Designating
June 2026 as “Gun Violence Awareness Month ” in Pierce County, Washington.
Whereas, gun violence is a public health crisis that touches every community in America, claiming more than 100
lives every day and leaving families, friends, and neighborhoods to grieve losses that ripple across generations; and
Whereas, in 2024, an estimated 915 people died from gun-related injuries in Washington State, at a rate of
approximately 11 per 100,000 residents, with roughly 70.7 percent of those deaths the result of suicide and the great
majority of the remainder homicides; and
Whereas, firearms are now the leading cause of death for American youth ages 11–18, according to a
Washington State University study published in 2025, with research showing that gun-inflicted injuries surpassed motorvehicle
collisions as the leading cause of mortality among urban high-school-aged children, and that firearm deaths are
climbing sharply among rural high-school-aged children as well; and
Whereas, according to The News Tribune, 49 people lost their lives to homicide in Pierce County in 2025, with
approximately 71 percent of victims killed by gunfire; and
Whereas, in 2025 the Pierce County Sheriff's Office reported a troubling surge in violent crime, including multiple
homicides involving juvenile victims and juvenile suspects, and the City of Tacoma recorded more than two dozen
homicides over the course of the year, underscoring that this crisis continues to take a heavy toll on our neighborhoods;
and
Whereas, the Eastside Community Center in Tacoma stands as a testament to what a community can build
when it chooses hope and collective action over despair — opened in 2018, the center emerged from years of inadequate
facilities, and the profound losses suffered by Eastside Tacoma families to gun violence; and
Whereas, the center was inspired in part by the memory of Billy Ray Shirley, III, a 17-year-old whose death to
gun violence galvanized the community to create a safe space where Eastside youth could grow, connect, and thrive free
from fear — fulfilling Billy’s vision rooted in the belief that young people deserve better; and
Whereas, the center is home to a memorial artwork, In Loving Memory, created by artist Dionne Bonner and
dedicated to the young people of Tacoma's Eastside whose lives were taken by gun violence — a permanent reminder of
those lost and of the community's commitment never to forget them; and
Whereas, Pierce County is home to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and one of the largest military and veteran
populations in Washington State, and this community bears a disproportionate share of the gun violence crisis: according
to data from the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs and the Washington State Department of Health, Pierce
County reports the highest number of veteran suicide deaths in the state, with 79 percent of those deaths by means of
firearms; and
Whereas, resources exist to meet this moment — the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers specialized, culturally
competent support, including the Veterans Crisis Line (press 1), a Spanish Language Line (press 2), and the Native and
Strong Lifeline connecting American Indian and Alaska Native residents to Native crisis counselors (press 4); the 9-8-8
service is also fully accessible around the clock, with videophone access for Deaf and Hard of Hearing residents via 7-1-1
then 9-8-8, and interpretation available in more than 240 languages; and
Whereas, Gun Violence Awareness Month was inspired by the friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old
honors student who was shot and killed in Chicago in January 2013, one week after performing at the second presidential
inauguration of Barack Obama; and
Whereas, on what would have been Hadiya's 16th birthday, her classmates honored her memory by wearing
orange — the color hunters wear in the field to signal their presence and protect one another from harm; and
Whereas, since the first Wear Orange Commemoration in 2015, the movement has grown into a national
observance that brings together survivors, advocates, faith leaders, law enforcement officers, educators, healthcare
workers, and elected officials in a shared commitment to reducing gun violence; and
Whereas, lives can be saved through proven strategies, including responsible storage of firearms, expanded
access to mental health and suicide prevention services, investment in community-based violence intervention programs,
support for survivors and victims' families, and strong partnerships among residents, schools, law enforcement, and public
health professionals; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT PROCLAIMED on this 26th day of May 2026 by the Pierce County Council and Executive that June 2026
is hereby designated "Gun Violence Awareness Month" in Pierce County, Washington. We encourage all residents to
wear orange on June 5–7, 2026, in solidarity with those affected by gun violence, and to engage with local efforts through
schools, faith communities, healthcare providers, and neighborhood organizations to make Pierce County safer for
everyone.