Friday Will Be Gun Violence Awareness Day

At its Monday meeting the Pasadena City Council formally recognized Friday, June 6 as Gun Violence Awareness Day.

Mayor Victor Gordo proclaimed “June 6, 2025 in Pasadena as Gun Violence Awareness Day,” emphasizing the city’s commitment to public safety and addressing the pervasive impact of gun violence on communities.

Mayor Gordo highlighted that gun violence affects “every segment of our society,” impacts people of all ages, and “disproportionately affects communities of color.” He also noted that the presence of guns increases the “probability of death in incidents of domestic violence” and places “children and young people at increased risk of physical harm.”

The Mayor urged all citizens, businesses, organizations, and agencies to “work collaboratively to reduce gun violence in our community.”

Lola Osborne, Deputy Director, Parks, Recreation and Community Services at City of Pasadena, and Natalie Salazar, Chair of the Board for Day One Pasadena and Executive Director of Los Angeles Crime Stoppers, accepted the proclamation.

Osborne expressed appreciation for the Mayor and City Council members for “wearing your orange pens. Orange ties,” acknowledging the significance of the day.

Salazar, representing Day One, described the organization’s coordination with “over 50 different nonprofits to try to bring resources to work with our youth.” She noted the timeliness of the proclamation, as the community was “coming off the aftermath of a horrible weekend of gun violence.”

Looking ahead, Salazar announced that “next Friday we’ll start National Gun Violence Awareness Day. It will be the entire weekend,” with “all four of our parks” participating on Friday by “making sure that people are wearing orange.”

Osborne explained the origin of the color orange, stating it was “selected because it’s what hunters wear to make sure that they are safe from targets.” Both advocates thanked the council for their actions to “prevent gun violence” and “support our youth and community members.”