Recognizing the week of February 1, 2021 to February 7, 2021 as National Gun Violence Survivors Week to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence, and uplift the resilient voices of survivors in Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, The United States has a gun rate death eleven times higher than that of other high-income countries, and the gun violence crisis continues to be intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. By February, more Americans will have died from gun violence than other nations will experience in an entire year; and

WHEREAS, Every year, over 36,000 Americans are killed in acts of gun violence and 73,000 more are shot and wounded. 58% of adult Americans are gun violence survivors, and 68% of Black and Latino adults are gun violence survivors; and

WHEREAS, Firearms are the second leading cause of death for children and teens, and the first leading cause of Black children and teens in America; and

WHEREAS, In 2020, Philadelphia recorded a near-record 499 homicides, an increase of about 40% over the previous year. More than 2,200 people were injured in shooting incidents. To date, there have been 50 homicides in Philadelphia this year, a 32% increase from 2020. As of January 28, 2021, there have been 144 nonfatal and 38 fatal shooting victims; and

WHEREAS, A gun violence survivor is anyone who has personally experienced gun violence. This includes witnessing an act of gun violence, being threatened or wounded with a gun, or knowing and caring for someone who was wounded or killed with a gun; and

WHEREAS, This year’s National Gun Violence Survivors Week will focus on highlighting the resilience of America’s gun violence survivors, who despite experiencing incredible trauma, are leading work on the ground to support other survivors and advocating for common-sense measures that save lives; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia filmmaker Shameka Sawyer produced a film titled

Sometimes I Cry in June

, which

tells the story of her brother, Allen Taylor. Her brother was lost due to gun violence on June 1, 2020. The film has been accepted into several film festivals. Sawyer wants to create a series spotlighting families who have lost loved ones to gun violence; and

WHEREAS, In 2020, Glenn Holsten, a local filmmaker, produced a four-part series called “Beyond the Bullet: Gunshot Violence Survivors Speak,” highlighting Philadelphia’s support group for paralyzed gunshot survivors. Holsten is also filming a documentary about the support group with a working title of

Shot and Forgotten

; and

WHEREAS, This year, the City of Philadelphia still has much work to do as it battles a dual public health crisis: gun violence and the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Body, we renew our commitment to reducing gun violence and pledge to do all we can to keep our communities safe; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby recognizes the week of February 1, 2021 to February 7, 2021 as National Gun Violence Survivors Week to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence, and uplift the resilient voices of survivors across the nation.

End