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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING JUNE AS GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH IN COOK COUNTY AND JUNE 5, 2026, AS WEAR ORANGE DAY
WHEREAS, gun violence is a national and local public health crisis and was declared a public health crisis by the American Medical Association in 2016; and
WHEREAS, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, firearm-related deaths remain at historic levels in the United States, with more than 48,000 lives lost annually to gun violence, including homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings; and
WHEREAS, gun violence is connected to historic disinvestment and structural inequities and disproportionately impacts communities of color, with Black Americans experiencing firearm homicide victimization rates significantly higher than their white counterparts; and
WHEREAS, gun violence has become the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office recorded 1,087 gun-related homicides in Cook County in 2021, marking the first time since 1994 that more than 1,000 homicides were recorded in a single year; and
WHEREAS, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office recorded 553 gun-related homicide deaths in Cook County in 2025, reflecting meaningful progress while underscoring the continued urgency of addressing community violence; and
WHEREAS, despite reductions in gun homicides, rates of firearm violence remain tragically and unacceptably high, devastating families, neighborhoods, and communities throughout Cook County; and
WHEREAS, research demonstrates that community violence intervention programs, trauma-informed services, youth engagement initiatives, and public health-based prevention strategies can reduce involvement in gun violence, save lives, and address the root causes of violence; and
WHEREAS, Cook County remains committed to treating gun violence as a public health crisis that requires coordinated public health, pu...
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