On Friday, June 6, for National Gun Violence Awareness Day, trauma teams from MemorialCare’s Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, along with Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center, gathered at Long Beach City Hall with Long Beach City leaders, including Mayor Rex Richardson and Councilwoman Cindy Allen from Long Beach City Council District Two, as well as the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Long Beach Fire Department, Long Beach Police Department, and others came together to raise awareness about the growing public health crisis of gun violence, particularly its impact on children and teens.
Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle accidents. In Long Beach alone, as of April 2025, 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.
Attendees wore orange, the nationally recognized color of gun violence prevention, to honor victims and survivors. The gathering’s purpose was to educate, empower, and inspire community members to take action to prevent further tragedy and save lives.
“The physical and emotional wounds caused by gun violence are among the most devastating we see in our trauma center,” said Douglas Fraser, M.D., medical director, Trauma Center, Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “Gun violence starts in the city, but it ends in the hospital. 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 instruction. Additionally, the Long Beach Advancing Peace Initiative offered gun safety education and distributed free gun locks to promote responsible firearm storage and reduce the risk of accidental injury or death.
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 Hadiya would have turned 18, the #WearOrange movement has grown into a national symbol of solidarity and a call to action as gun violence continues to impact communities across the country.
