Sixth Annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week Begins

January 22-26 Marks Sixth Annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week

Every Day in America, 120 people Are Shot and Killed, More Than 200 Are Shot and Wounded, and Countless Others Experience the Collective Trauma of Gun Violence

NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund today marks the beginning of the sixth annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week, taking place January 22-26. National Gun Violence Survivors Week seeks to share and amplify the stories of gun violence survivors who live every day with the unending impacts of gun violence. This year, National Gun Violence Survivors Week will continue to highlight survivor changemakers who, in the face of unimaginable pain and trauma, are leading efforts to prevent gun violence and support survivors in their communities. 

“National Gun Violence Survivors Week reminds all of us who have been impacted by gun violence that our stories matter and the legacies of our loved ones are not forgotten,” said Adriana Pentz, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action in New York and Senior Fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network whose brother, Luc-John, shot and killed himself in 2017. “Every day, I know I’m not alone. While I miss my brother dearly and wouldn’t wish the pain of surviving gun violence on anyone, I’m so proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the survivor community in this country as we share our truths and call for change.”  

“Gun violence survivors are not a monolith — because the gun violence crisis in America is so far-reaching, every survivor of gun violence is unique, and so is their path of healing,” said Keenon James, Senior Director of the Everytown Survivor Network whose brother, Sean, was shot and killed in Takoma Park, Maryland in 1993. Sean’s murder remains unsolved more than 30 years later. “During National Gun Violence Survivors Week and every day of the year, I am astounded by the resilience and courage of survivors who share their stories. Together, if we keep shining a light on the real impact that gun violence has on our families and communities, then our pain will not be in vain and a safer future will come.”

“Gun violence survivors are the beating heart of the gun safety movement,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “It is our commitment to our nation of survivors to keep forging pathways to safety and healing. In every moment, especially this week, we will center the stories, pain, and purpose of this community as we fight for a brighter future.”

Every day in America, at least 120 people are shot and killed, more than 200 are shot and wounded, and countless others experience the collective trauma of gun violence. We are a nation of survivors. All told, 59 percent of adults in America – including 71 percent of Black people and 60 percent of Latinx people – are survivors of gun violence, either experiencing gun violence themselves or caring about someone who has experienced gun violence in their lifetimes. While gun violence in any form leaves enduring marks on the lives of those who are impacted, many survivors have become leaders in the gun violence prevention movement in sharing lessons of healing, post-traumatic growth and the power of community and connection through engagement with peer support communities like the Everytown Survivor Network. 

In honor of National Gun Violence Survivors Week, the Everytown Survivor Network will distribute a total of $200,000 in grants to 19 local organizations that directly support survivors in communities hardest hit by gun violence. Each grant recipient is unique, but all the organizations provide direct emotional or financial support to survivors, connect victims with essential services, and center survivor voices and healing in communities across the nation. Since 2021, the Everytown Survivor Network has granted to nearly 40 organizations in more than 30 cities that implement empowering, community-based strategies to support fellow gun violence survivors and their respective communities.

The following organizations are Everytown Survivor Network grant recipients:

• A New Beginning 4 You Foundation
• Boss Not Bangers
• Brother Let’s Talk
• Helping Out Our People (H.O.O.P.) 
• Jesse Klump Memorial Fund
• Journey4ward
• KEYZ 2 THE FUTURE
• LEFT HEARTS INC
• Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation
• Mothers Fighting 4 Justice Inc
• MOTIVATED 2 HELP OTHERS
• Movement of Mourning Mother’s Association
• Nashville Peacemakers
• One Family One Fight, Inc
• Oscar Grant Foundation
• Stop The Violence Prayer Chain Foundation
• Strut Talk Runway Therapy
• Voices From the Community
• What About Us

Moms Demand Action volunteers will be hosting nearly 60 virtual or in-person events recognizing National Gun Violence Survivors Week, engaging survivors, community leaders, and local partners and students. Additionally, the Everytown Survivor Network will host a virtual panel conversation on Wednesday, January 24 at 8pm ET with several survivor changemakers. Learn more and register here. 

The centerpiece of National Gun Violence Survivors Week is Moments That Survive – a year-round digital storytelling platform on which people across the country share defining details of their gun violence experiences, in their own words. Moments That Survive builds community among gun violence survivors and helps the public understand how everyday life changes as a result of gun violence. Survivors, members of Congress, mayors and other elected officials, partners, celebrities, athletes, partner organizations and thousands of people across the country will also share survivors’ stories via social media throughout the week using #GVSurvivorsWeek.