RALEIGH, N.C. — In a proclamation released Friday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper made today, June 3, “Gun Violence Awareness Day.”
The governor made the proclamation to raise awareness and remember the lives lost to gun violence, according to a press release.
“We cannot forget these tragedies when they fade from the news,” Cooper said. “I’ve taken executive action to help in North Carolina, but we can do more. It’s past time for common sense reforms that must take place at the congressional and legislative levels - stronger background checks, red flag laws, banning assault weapons and community violence interventions so that we can prevent these horrific events.”
The North Carolina Executive Mansion will be lit orange from June 3 until June 5 in honor of the day.
This year is the 8th national celebration of Gun Violence Awareness Day. It memorializes Hadiya Pendleton, an Illinois woman who would’ve celebrated her 25th birthday this year had she not been shot and killed in 2013.
According to the governor, North Carolina has the 17th highest rate of gun deaths in the nation with an average of more than 1,300 gun deaths annually.
Just this year in Charlotte, there have been 40 homicides. People across the Charlotte community and and local police have also called for the violence to stop.
“As I say all the time, this is not a police issue, this is not a crime issue, this is a community issue and I think everyone should be concerned whether you live in this part of Charlotte or you live at the other end of the city. We rise and fall together so it’s going to take everybody’s involvement and everybody’s concern and it’s not going to change overnight, but everybody chipping in, everybody sharing concern for their fellow human being is going to help us turn this around and make this city we all want it to be,” said Maj. Ryan Butler, with Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.
(WATCH BELOW: Atrium Health develops program to decrease hospital visits due to gun violence)
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