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Roanoke issues gun‑violence awareness proclamation; Fed Up announces memorial walk
Summary
Council proclaimed the first Friday in June as Gun Violence Awareness Day. Renee Taylor of Fed Up described personal losses, announced a memorial walk at the MLK Memorial Bridge on June 5, and asked for volunteers; councilors pledged continued support for prevention activities.
At its June 1 meeting, Roanoke City Council adopted a proclamation recognizing the first Friday in June as Gun Violence Awareness Day and invited Fed Up — a volunteer organization supporting families affected by gun violence — to speak.
Renee Taylor, a Fed Up founder, told council she lost her father and brother to gun violence and said the proclamation "is personal to me." She invited the public to a "They Had Dreams Too" memorial walk on Friday, June 5, at 7:00 p.m. at the MLK Memorial Bridge and asked for volunteers to support Fed Up's work.
Council members thanked Fed Up for its advocacy, noted the commission’s tree-planting dedications and other community-based prevention efforts, and described partnerships intended to provide grieving families with places to honor lost loved ones. Vice Mayor and other councilors highlighted reductions in gun violence since 2023 but emphasized that every life matters and additional work remains.
Kathy Cohen, chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Commission, joined the recognition, and councilors encouraged residents to participate in awareness activities and local prevention programs. No new city funding or ordinance was proposed during the remarks.
