"In honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Month, we - my office, BPD, our hospital partners, and everyone working to build a safer city - are recommitting ourselves to the critically important work of preventing violence across Baltimore," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "Today, we are doubling down on our work to tackle the root causes of violence, promote firearm safety, and build on the progress we have achieved around public safety."

"As we mark Gun Violence Awareness month, we know we have so much work to do to end this scourge on our communities, including developing a comprehensive strategy to end these senseless deaths. One step we can take is by starting at home - ensuring families have the tools they need to keep firearms securely stored and prevent tragedies. By coming together today to promote gun safety, we can all contribute to a safer, stronger Baltimore," said Senator Chris Van Hollen.

Partners came together to distribute free cable gun locks, secure firearm storage information, violence prevention resources, and other wraparound supports in honor of Gun Violence Awareness Month.

"Each year, the care teams at our R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Downtown Baltimore and our Level II Trauma Center at UM Capital Region Medical Center see hundreds of lives impacted by gun violence," said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of UMMS. "This is a public health emergency that demands a community-wide response. A gun lock could be the difference between safety and tragedy. UMMS is proud to join with our city, hospital, and community partners to empower more Baltimoreans to commit to one simple act of responsibility that could save lives."

"Before, cancer was the number one cause of death for children. According to the CDC, that has changed. Now, it's gun violence," said Kevin W. Sowers, M.S.N., R.N., F.A.A.N., President of the Johns Hopkins Health System and Executive Vice President of Johns Hopkins Medicine. "That fact alone should be enough for each and every one of us to commit to listening to the research and implementing tried and true best practices to support safer communities. This series of events is one of many ways we are partnering to get the information out there to help save lives."

"Gun violence inflicts lasting physical and emotional trauma on individuals and communities. It's imperative that we take action to prevent another senseless tragedy. Gun deaths are not merely a public safety concern; they are a public health issue. We are pleased to join with the city and our colleagues from other health systems to educate and engage with Baltimore to encourage action and save lives now," said Adam Rosenberg, Executive Director of Center for Hope and Vice President of Violence Intervention and Prevention at LifeBridge Health.

Over 150 Baltimoreans came out to take advantage of the available resources and hospital partners distributed over 275 gun locks as part of the event.

An estimated 4.6 million children in the United States live in a household with at least one unsecured, loaded firearm. Guns are the leading cause of death for American children and teens. The City of Baltimore's 2021 Child Fatality Review Report found homicide to be the leading cause of child fatality, with 45 youth ages seven to 17 killed by a non-relative third party from 2016 to 2020 - 42 of these deaths were caused by gun violence. Additionally, the report found that 29% of suicide deaths and 5% of accidental deaths in the same time period were the result of the child having access to unsecured firearms in the home.

As part of broader efforts to promote secure firearm storage, violence prevention, and gun safety, MONSE, Johns Hopkins Health System, UMMS, and LifeBridge Health will continue to distribute free gun locks and secure storage information throughout Baltimore. Public events will be posted on MONSE's website at monse.baltimorecity.gov/violence-prevention-events.

For more information on secure firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect loved ones from unsecured firearms, visit BeSMARTforkids.org.