Gun Violence Awareness Day Declared Hours Before Texas School Shooting

FAIRFAX, VA — Hours before an 18-year-old gunman shot and killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed a proclamation designating June 3 as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Fairfax County.

"Unfortunately, we know that there's way too much gun violence in this country and much of it can be prevented," Chairman Jeff McKay said, after reading the proclamation. "While it's a sad day and we remember the lives it's also a happy day, to remind ourselves that there's a lot of people in this county who have been in the fight every day for a long time, to bring awareness to gun violence and to make legislative action happen."

Members of Moms Demand Action Alexandria, a grassroots organization that advocates to end gun violence in the U.S., were hand Tuesday morning to thank the supervisors for their support and the proclamation.

Related: Texas School Shooting: Gunman Killed 19 Kids, 2 Teachers In Same Class

Brooke Glisson, the group's membership lead, explained that there was a reason she and her fellow members were all wearing orange on Tuesday.

"Orange symbolizes the value of each person's life," she said. "We wear it to honor those killed and wounded by gun violence, to honor their loved ones, and to call for an end to this crisis. We wear orange for Buffalo and Columbine, and Sandy Hook, and Virginia Beach, and Parkland, and Tree of Life synagogue, and Las Vegas, and I could stand here for the next hour reading lists of cities in America that have been terrorized and decimated by gun violence and not just mass shootings."

Across the country, an estimated 20,700 people were killed in gun homicides or non-suicide related shootings last year, making 2021 one of the deadliest years on record in the U.S. It was also a 6 percent increase over the previous year, according to Glisson.

Related: Texas School Shooting: What We Know About Uvalde Victims

"We continue to educate, to raise awareness, to organize, to advocate and to rally for safer communities and say that if more guns made us safer, America would be the safest nation on the planet," she said.

Many of those who spoke about gun violence at Tuesday's board meeting referenced the May 14 shooting outside a Buffalo market that left 10 Black people dead. At the Government Center, that mass shooting was still fresh in people's minds.

Once the board voted to adopt the proclamation and all necessary photos were taken, Moms Demand Action Alexandria left the Board Auditorium and the supervisors turned to other items on the agenda.

A few hours later, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos shot his grandmother in a domestic dispute, according to police. He then drove off in his car, crashing it near Robb Elementary School.

Wearing a tactical vest and carrying rifle, Ramos entered the school, where he shot and killed 19 children and two adults, before he was fatally shot by police.

In response, President Joe Biden called for all flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor those who had died in Uvalde. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a similar proclamation, ordering all flags to remain at half-staff until sunset on Saturday.

"As a parent, I am heartbroken for the families in grief tonight and angry that, as a nation, we have not made much progress protecting innocent people, most especially, children," Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay said, in a Twitter post on Tuesday night. "Our children deserve a world that puts their health and wellbeing at the forefront. Virginia and Fairfax County have made considerable progress in adopting common sense gun solutions that are no longer just common sense, they are presumed. We know we still have a way to go and that not one state, nor one locality, can do this alone."

“We are heartbroken for everyone impacted by this senseless act of violence in a predominantly Latinx community,” said Rena Estala, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Students Demand Action, in a statement. “School is the last place where kids should have to worry about gun violence. We need leaders at every level to prioritize gun safety now.”

Superintendent Scott Brabrand of Fairfax County Public Schools sent a letter to FCPS families and employees condemning the senseless act of violence at Robb Elementary.

"We want you to know that the safety of our schools, and the children and staff within them, is our highest priority," he said, in his letter. 'We continually work to make critical safety upgrades to our buildings each budget year. FCPS has one of the most advanced school security systems in the nation. While we hope we never see a day like today again, please be assured that we will continue to assess our protocols to ensure the safest learning and working environment possible."

Brabrand shared a link to gun violence prevention resources on the FCPS website and information from the National Association of School Psychologists to support parents and educators when they talk to students about gun violence.

On Gun Violence Awareness Day, Moms Demand Action Alexandria and its community partners are hosting a Wear Orange Rally at 7 p.m., on Friday, June 3, at Market Square in Old Town Alexandria (300 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314). The event will honor the millions of lives taken or changed by gun violence and demand action in their honor.