h. nazan ışık —
6 June 2025 —
Governor Kathy Hochul today issued a proclamation declaring June as Gun Violence Awareness Month in New York State. National Gun Violence Awareness Day (also known as #WearOrange Day) is observed on the first Friday of the month.
Many organizations and individuals promote awareness and advocate for change by wearing orange as a symbol of solidarity with those impacted by gun violence and a way to raise awareness about the issue.
Bellevue Hospital workers posed with a banner reads “ We #WEAR ORANGE at NYC H.H Bellevue for GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS”
#Wear Orange honors Hadiya Pendleton who was shot and killed in 2013 at the age of 15, on a playground in Chicago. Soon after this tragedy, Hadiya’s friends commemorated her life by wearing orange which is a color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. According to a post from the New York State Assembly, this bright color makes them highly visible to other hunters, significantly reducing the risk of accidental shootings,
Wear Orange originated on June 2, 2015—what would have been Hadiya Pendleton’s 18th birthday, and in 2025, volunteers, gun violence survivors, community partners, and other advocates nationwide joined the #WearOrange for the 11th year in a row.
Governor Hochul said “On Wear Orange Day, I join millions of Americans in wearing orange to remind survivors, family members and everyone who believes in peace and public safety that New York stands against gun violence. Since taking office, I have been laser focused on making New York a safer place for all by enacting some of the nation’s strongest gun safety laws — and they’re working. As we remember the victims of senseless gun violence today, we reaffirm our commitment to common sense gun safety and the safety of all New Yorkers.”
Governor Hochul recently announced “Shooting Incidents with injury across New York State declined 9 percent during the first four months of this year compared to the same time in 2024, reaching a record low and continuing a three-year downward trend.”
Landmarks across the State to be illuminated in Orange tonight, 6 June,
honoring survivors and victims.
Photographs © h. nazan ışık
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