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Missoula marks National Gun Violence Awareness Day; local advocates urge safe storage and prevention
Summary
Council and county issued a proclamation designating June 7, 2025, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day; local advocates from Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action urged safe storage, suicide prevention measures and community events.
Missoula city officials joined Missoula County in proclaiming June 7, 2025, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day during the June 2 council meeting. The proclamation cited state and national statistics on firearm deaths and called for community action to prevent gun violence.
Roxanne Weichel, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and student activist Cora Barnes addressed the council following the proclamation. Weichel described "orange" as a symbol used by survivors and advocates to honor victims and to promote responsible gun storage; she urged adults to keep guns unloaded, locked and separate from ammunition to reduce suicide and unintentional shootings. "Orange symbolizes the value of each person's life, and we wear it to honor those killed, wounded, or impacted by gun violence," Weichel said.
Cora Barnes, who leads the Students Demand Action chapter in Missoula and attends Hellgate High School, said daily U.S. firearm death rates are a public-health crisis and urged residents to attend a community event this weekend. Barnes invited the public to a wear-orange rally on Saturday at 10 a.m. and said volunteers would distribute gun locks and orange placards.
The proclamation also included county-prepared statistics cited by staff in the reading: firearms are a leading cause of death among children and teens nationally, high rates of firearm suicide in Montana, and economic costs of gun violence. Several public speakers referenced recent local incidents and the broader national context.
Councilors thanked the advocates for their presentation and for community organizing around safe-storage practices and awareness events. The proclamation is ceremonial; the council did not vote on regulatory measures during the meeting.
Advocates encouraged Missoulians to wear orange on June 7 to raise awareness, to use safe-storage practices at home, and to attend local awareness events organized by community groups.
