Austin Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter will present a proclamation to local advocates for Gun Violence Awareness Month on Thursday. The group accepting the proclamation will include Chief of Police Joseph Chacon, as well as representatives from Moms Demand Action, Texas Gun Sense, Austin’s Office of Violence Prevention, the Austin Police Department Victim Services Division, The Community Justice Action Fund, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, Lock Arms for Life, and other community leaders.
“Mass shootings are tragic, senseless, and largely preventable, but with this proclamation, I also want to call attention to the less reported-on gun deaths that we see in our community,” said Mayor Pro Tem Alter. “Our public safety ecosystem must also look at preventing intimate partner homicides, suicides, and accidents caused by improper storage.”
Following the tragic shooting at Reed elementary in Uvalde, Alter shared some recent steps the City of Austin has taken to reduce and prevent gun violence.
“The summer months are typically the worst time for gun violence in the United States, so this month is the ideal time to look more closely at the impact of gun violence in our community,” said Alter.
The proclamation comes one day after the gun violence prevention summit and town hall hosted by various officials from Austin and Travis County.
