(May 9, 2023) -- On Tuesday, Sikeston Mayor Greg Turnbow proclaimed June 2, 2023, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Sikeston.

Every day, more than 120 Americans are killed by gun violence, alongside more than 200 who are shot and wounded, and on average, there are nearly 16,000-gun homicides every year.

Americans are 26 times more likely to die by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries and Missouri has 1,288 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 17.9 deaths per 100,000 people. Missouri also has the eighth highest rate of gun deaths in the United States.

Cities across the nation, including Sikeston, are working to end the senseless violence with evidence-based solutions. Gun violence prevention is more important than ever as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate gun violence after more than two years of an increase in gun sales, increase calls to suicide and domestic violence hotlines and an increase in city gun violence.

In Jan. 2013, Hadiya Pendleton was tragically shot and killed at age 15; and on June 2, 2023, to recognize the 26^th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton, who was born June 2, 1997, people across the United States will recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Day and wear orange in tribute to Pendleton and other victims of gun violence and the loved ones of those victims.

The idea was inspired by a group of Hadiya’s friends who asked their classmates to commemorate her life by wearing orange. They chose this color because hunters wear orange to announce themselves to other hunters when out in the woods and orange is a color that symbolizes the value of human life. By wearing orange on June 2, 2023, Americans will raise awareness about gun violence and honor the lives of gun violence victims and survivors.

Present for the signing were: Cathy Matrisotto, Turnbow and Lynda Stewart.