2022/06/01 Council Agenda Packet

-ck o• OF E vFR Est. WASHINGTON 1893 WHEREAS, everPdayRorQanQAtPric'an�a it d y TviolencT, aloT'b ide more than 200 who are shot and wounded, and on average there are nearly 16,000-gun homicides every year; And, Washington has 810-gun deaths every year, with a rate of io.5 deaths per 1oo,00 people and Washington has the 39th highest rate of gun deaths in the US: And, cities across the nation, including in Everett, are working to end the senseless violence with evidence -based solutions and protecting public safety in the communities they serve is mayors' highest responsibility; And, support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand -in -hand with keeping guns away from people with dangerous histories; And, 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, 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; And, January 2°13, Hadiya Pendleton was tragically shot and killed at age is. To recognize her birthday in June, people across the United States has annually recognized the first Friday of June as National Gun Violence Awareness Day by wearing orange in tribute to Hadiya Pendleton and honor the lives of gun violence victims and survivors and their loved ones, WHEREAS, the City of Everett is renewing 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, Cassie Franklin, Mayor of the City of Everett, do hereby proclaim June 3, 2022, as Gun Violence Awareness Day. Signed this 3ist day of May 2022 Mayor Cassie Franklin L-