The Board of Selectmen recently approved a proclamation naming June 2, 2023 Gun Violence Awareness Day in Madison. We encourage all residents to Wear Orange the weekend of June 2-4 to call attention to the crisis of gun violence, signal our commitment to reducing gun violence in all its forms, and implore gun owners in our community to be responsible owners and properly secure any firearms in their home to prevent another senseless tragedy.

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, in Connecticut, an average of 211 people die every year by gun-related injuries. Gun related injuries are the second leading cause of death among children and teens, and gun related suicides account for half of all Connecticut gun deaths; and

WHEREAS, some 1 million students ages 12 to 18 report having access to a loaded gun without adult permission and nearly 5 million children live in homes with an unlocked, loaded gun; and

WHEREAS, more than 80 percent of child gun-related suicides use a gun belonging to a family member and two-thirds of school shooters obtained the gun they used from their home or the home of a relative; and

WHEREAS, on December 14, 2012, in our home state, 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, were fatally shot, in the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history; and

WHEREAS, as of May 2023, mass shootings in the U.S. are on a record pace, with 217 mass shootings occurring this year, impacting communities across the country such as: Dallas, TX, Atlanta, GA, Cleveland, TX, Dadeville, AL, Louisville, KY, Nashville, TN, East Lansing, MI, Oakland, CA, Half Moon Bay, CA, Monterey Park, CA, Enoch City, UT, Huntsville, AL; and

WHEREAS, beyond the loss of life from gun-related violence and the pain and suffering of its survivors, there are countless numbers of family members and friends whose lives are forever scarred; and

WHEREAS, this June 2nd marks the 26th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton, a teen who tragically became a victim of gun violence. Hadiya’s friends chose to Wear Orange on her birthday because hunters wear the color orange to protect themselves; and

WHEREAS, Wear Orange Weekend is this June 2nd to June 4 th, and by participating in Wear Orange activities, we stand in solidarity with the communities of Newtown and dozens of other cities and towns across the nation that have experienced the tragedy of senseless mass shootings.

NOW THEREFORE, we, the Madison Board of Selectmen, do hereby declare June 2, 2023 Gun Violence Awareness Day in Madison and encourage residents to Wear Orange to call attention to the crisis of gun violence, signal our commitment to reducing gun violence in all its forms, and implore gun owners in our community to be responsible owners and properly secure any firearms in their home to prevent another senseless tragedy.