The Denver City Council unanimously voted Monday to proclaim June 4 as Gun Violence Awareness Day, in accordance with the National Gun Violence Awareness Day established in 2015.

In 2020, Colorado experienced 846 gun deaths and 11 mass shootings which killed six and injured 52, according to the proclamation. In 2019, the state had four mass shootings that killed two and injured 20.

In Denver, 305 people were injured in shootings in 2020 – up 512% from 2019. Of those victims, nearly a third were children or teenagers and 117 were killed. In 2021, 46 people have already died from gun violence in Denver.

“We need to be sure that firearms are handled responsibility and kept out of the hands of people who have no business procuring firearms, and that we keep our children, and all of us, as safe as possible,” said Councilman Paul Kashmann, who led the proclamation.

National Gun Violence Awareness Day is observed annually on the first Friday of June, which is National Gun Violence Awareness Month.

The day was established in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, a Chicago teenager who was shot and killed in January 2013, weeks after marching in President Obama’s second inaugural parade.

“As a mother myself, I cannot imagine losing a child to anything and so many mothers are losing their children to gun violence,” said Rachel Barnes from Moms Demand Action. “I hope that with awareness comes some change.”

Residents are encouraged to wear orange on June 4 to raise awareness about gun violence and honor the lives of gun violence victims and survivors.

With this proclamation, the City Council also renewed its commitment to reducing gun violence through initiatives like the Youth Violence Prevention Action Table and encouraging responsible gun ownership.