By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
King County Executive Dow Constantine, in collaboration with local community-based organizations and the city of Seattle, has launched the 100 Days of Action, an intensive initiative to confront gun violence.
“Gun violence is a public health issue that demands urgent action,” Constantine stated. “This 100-day, intensive initiative to confront gun violence will expand vital community resources and intervention programs to pave the way for lasting change.”
Since 2020, Congress has allocated $25 million between the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for federally funded gun violence research. Despite these efforts, as of February 15, 2024, the CDC reports that at least 4,994 people have died from gun violence in the U.S., averaging 108 deaths a day. Alarmingly, gun deaths remain the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell emphasized the critical nature of this initiative, noting the profound impact of gun violence on young people.
“Nineteen percent of tenth graders reported feeling unsafe because of gun violence in Seattle. Fifty percent of eighth graders and 71% of 12th graders reported feelings of anxiety because of gun violence. Thirty percent of 12th graders reported feeling depressed as a result of insecurity and a lack of safety. How do you learn in an environment like that? You can’t,” Harrell said.
A 2023 study by the NIH and CDC highlighted that gun-related injuries and deaths disproportionately affect people of color in the U.S. The study found that 31% of Black people and 22% of Hispanic adults have personally witnessed someone being shot. Additionally, 34% of Black adults have a family member who was killed by a gun, double the share of white adults. Thirty-two percent of Black and Hispanic adults worry daily about being a victim of gun violence, compared to one in ten white adults. About 20% of Black and Hispanic adults feel that gun-related crimes, deaths, and injuries are a constant threat to their community, more than double the number of white adults.
King County is investing $1.6 million over the next 100 days, including $1 million to expand community-led violence intervention programs and $250,000 to support victims and families impacted by gun violence through an intervention program at Harborview Medical Center. Addressing mental health, Mayor Harrell announced a $10 million investment in youth mental health and safety, with $2.4 million allocated to expand access to telehealth services and $2 million towards violence prevention, intervention, and interruption services.
“There have been too many instances of gun violence in and around our schools and throughout our city,” Harrell said.
“Keeping our young people, families, and community members safe requires regional alignment and bold action from everyone.” He added, “The city cannot solve this issue alone, but we are committed to convening partnerships and leveraging our resources to make sustainable progress. Together with the County and our community partners, our 100 Days of Action will help us deliver on calls for action from our students, educators, parents, and community members, not just for the summer, but this upcoming school year and beyond.”
A month ago, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory declaring gun violence a national public health issue. Public Health-King County has allocated $1.6 million to the 100 Days of Action to address this emergency. King County’s investment will increase the distribution of free gun lockboxes, expand the Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention’s resource guide, launch public awareness campaigns, and work with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform.
The City of Seattle will expand safe passage initiatives for young people, provide immediate wraparound services for young people, develop aggressive state legislative agendas, and partner with school personnel and other stakeholders to develop a plan to reduce gun violence. Community Passageways CEO Dominique Davis assured the community that their collaboration with local government, under Constantine’s leadership, will help bring about not only 100 Days of Action but “100 days of peace.”
“We commend Executive Constantine for calling for 100 Days of Action,” Davis said. “The summer months are when we see gun violence go up, and we will be in the streets every day, boots on the ground to do our part.” Davis emphasized the importance of community involvement, saying, “We will need everyone to do their part too. During the 100 Days of Action, we will work alongside our partners to create 100 Days of Peace. We have to have strong collaborations between government and our communities if we want to make real change, and this is the perfect example of what that looks like.”
The 100 Days of Action initiative is modeled after similar short-term, intensive gun violence prevention programs across the country that have shown successful outcomes. Eleuthera Lisch, Director of the Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention, emphasized the importance of collective effort.
“Every individual has a critical role to play in preventing gun violence,” Lisch said. “As emphasized in the recent announcement from the U.S. Surgeon General, addressing gun violence is not just a matter of procedure but a collective responsibility that demands action.”
“We have to mobilize with the kind of urgency that had King County at the forefront of addressing the COVID crisis. We must coordinate our response across government and work with the community to collectively stem the tide of this crisis. Gun violence affects us all, directly or indirectly, and we will only succeed in addressing it if we work together,” Lisch concluded.
