Long Beach officials, first responders, hospital staff and community members gathered at Civic Center Plaza last week to observe National Gun Violence Awareness Day and bring attention to the impact of gun violence, especially on children and teens.

Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens in the United States, officials said, ahead of motor vehicle crashes.

The event on Friday was hosted by trauma teams from MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, and Dignity Health — St. Mary Medical Center, in partnership with the city, Council District 2, first responders and community partners.

Attendees wore orange, the nationally recognized color of gun violence prevention, to honor victims and survivors. The event’s purpose was to educate, empower and inspire community members to take action to prevent further tragedy and save lives, according to a press release.

National Gun Violence Awareness Day is observed annually on the first Friday in June. It began in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old girl who was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago in 2013. Her friends chose to wear orange — traditionally worn by hunters for safety — to commemorate her life and advocate for gun violence prevention. Since 2015, when Pendleton would have turned 18, the #WearOrange movement has grown into a national symbol of solidarity and call to action as gun violence continues to impact communities across the country.

“It’s not just about wearing orange; it’s about awareness and education that we can make a difference when we focus and work together,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We can address gun violence in California and across the nation.”

Every year during the summer months, when school is out, Long Beach tends to see more incidents of violence and youth violence, Richardson said, which disproportionately impacts communities of color, youths of color and low-income neighborhoods.

How the city is trying to ensure and prevent violence, the mayor added, is by presenting opportunities to youths, such as launching the STRONG Beach Initiative last year, which brought together multi-departmental efforts, community-based organizations and others in the public and private sector to expand opportunities for youths.

Since beginning these gun violence prevention efforts, Long Beach has seen a 27.3% reduction in homicides and overall crime is down by 14.5%, Richardson said. This data came from the Long Beach Police Department’s citywide crime statistics for April.

“We are going into the summer with momentum since we began working together,” Richardson said. “We want to keep this momentum of unity, we want to carry this progress throughout the whole summer.”

Long Beach, though, had experienced a significant surge in gun violence, hospital officials said on Friday.

As of April, there have been more than 110 shootings reported in just the first four months of the year. In 2024, the Emergency Department and Level II Trauma Center at Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital treated 135 gunshot victims, including 14 children, said Dr. Douglas Fraser, medical director of the Trauma Center at Long Beach Medical Center.

“Gun violence is not just an enforcement issue,” Fraser said, “but it’s a public health crisis from our standpoint of what we see and the impact we see of patients that come in.”

Gun violence starts in the city, but it ends in the hospital,” he added. “Enough is enough. We must work together, as a city, a health system, and a community, to create real, lasting and meaningful change.”

During the event, trauma teams from the Long Beach hospitals conducted “stop the bleed” demonstrations, teaching attendees how to control life-threatening bleeding in emergency situations, and nurses provided hands-only CPR instructions.

The Long Beach Advancing Peace Initiative, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, also offered gun safety education and distributed free gun locks to promote responsible firearm storage and reduce the risk of accidental injury or death.

“Long Beach is looking to us to show up, to speak up, and to step up, and we can’t do this alone,” said Teil Samuels, manager of the Long Beach Advancing Peace Initiative. “We need a city united. We need our community-based organization, we need our faith-based leaders, our schools, we need our law enforcement, we need our youth, and we need every resident pulling in the same direction.”

Long Beach will continue its efforts to prevent gun violence this summer through its STRONG Beach program. More information about this programming is available at longbeach.gov/summer.

“We’re not just going to respond to violence; we’re going to prevent violence,” Richardson said. “We’re going to work together to uplift, join hands, and make sure no one ever feels the need to pick up a gun and use it, because they have all the opportunities and all the resources they need to succeed.”