National Gun Violence Awareness DayPROCLAMATION
VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY
This proclamation declares the first Friday in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the Village of
North Palm Beach to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence and to declare that we as a
country must do more to reduce gun violence.
WHEREAS, every day, more than 110 Americans are killed by gun violence, alongside more than 200 who are
shot and wounded, and on average there are nearly 16,000 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, Florida has 2849 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 12.9 deaths per 100,000 people. Florida has
the 27th 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 North Palm Beach are working to end the senseless violence
with evidence -based solutions; and
WHEREAS, protecting public safety in the communities they serve is mayors' 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 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 the COVID-19 pandemic continues to
exacerbate gun violence after more than two years of increased gun sales, increased calls to suicide
and 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 3, 2022 to
recognize the 25th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton (born: June 2, 1997), people across the United States will
recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Day and wear orange in tribute to —
(1) Hadiya Pendleton and other victims of gun violence: and
(2) the loved ones of those victims; and
WHEREAS, the idea was inspired by a group of Hadiya's fiends who asked their classmates to commemorate
her life by wearing orange; they chose this color because hunters wore orange to announce themselves to other
hunters when out in the woods and orange is a color that symbolizes the value of human life; and
WHEREAS, anyone can join this campaign by pledging to wear orange on June 3rd, the first Friday in June in
2022, to help raise awareness about gun violence; and
WHEREAS, by wearing orange on June 3, 2022 Americans will raise awareness about gun violence and honor
the lives of gun violence victims and survivors; and
WHEREAS, we renew our commitment to reduce gun violence and pledge to do all we can to keep
firearms out of the wrong hands, and encourage responsible gun ownership to help keep our children safe.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Deborah Searcy, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of the Village of
North Palm Beach, do hereby proclaim Friday June 3, 2022 to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day. I
encourage all citizens to support their local communities' efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and
to honor and value human lives.
NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the Village of North Palm Beach
to be affixed this 26th day of May, 2022.
":l-eAk
Deborah