MADISON – Today marks Gun Violence Awareness Day in the United States, the nationally recognized movement that honors 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was fatally shot by a stray bullet on a playground in Chicago in 2013. Each year, on the first Friday of June, advocates from across the country honor Pendleton, and all victims of gun violence, through the “Wear Orange” campaign, started by Pendleton’s loved ones as the color worn by hunters to protect themselves from gun-related injuries.
On May 16, State Representative Joan Fitzgerald (D-Fort Atkinson) introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 61 to commemorate today as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Wisconsin.
“Since 2018, I have been deeply involved in the Gun Violence Prevention movement–and now, as a State Representative, I am proud to have introduced legislation to recognize this day as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Wisconsin,” said Rep. Fitzgerald.
Earlier this week, Rep. Fitzgerald joined her Democratic colleagues to introduce the “Safe Summer” package, a series of bills that would help communities across Wisconsin address gun violence. The legislation would require universal background checks on all gun sales, institute a 48-hour waiting period, establish Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), and ban “ghost guns.”
Rep. Fitzgerald added, “We must take steps to prevent gun violence now. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States, and second in Wisconsin. In an average year, 741 people die and 1,686 people are wounded by guns in our state. 64% of those deaths are suicides. Time and time again, the research shows that prevention measures reduce gun violence and improve public safety.
“Today, we wear orange and take time to remember those whose lives have been impacted by gun violence. As legislators, we have a duty to protect the people of the districts we represent. It’s time for all of us to take meaningful action to keep our families and communities safe.”
