Council proclaims Gun Violence Awareness Month as survivors urge action on ghost guns and prevention

The Montgomery County Council on June 9 proclaimed June as National Gun Violence Awareness Month and heard testimony from survivors and local advocates calling for prevention measures and resources.

Chair Sydney Katz, speaking for the Health and Human Services Committee, cited state 2024 firearm fatality data and said the county is seeing a rise in ‘‘ghost guns’’ — unserialized, untraceable weapons assembled from kits or component parts. Katz noted a 16‑year‑old had been charged last month with possession of a loaded weapon on school property and previewed a public hearing that afternoon on bill 23‑26, which seeks to align county law with a recent Maryland court ruling on the limits of county firearm regulation.

Survivors described the human toll. Venice Mundal Harvey said, “My niece was tragically shot and killed by a former boyfriend,” and urged support for people at risk of intimate‑partner violence. Celeste Aroa, founder and president of Enough of Gun Violence, recounted multiple personal losses and her work in health care seeing victims. Mary Beth Hastings, survivor membership lead for Montgomery County Moms Demand Action, told the council about local and national survivor organizing and described Wear Orange’s origins; she said survivors “don’t want anyone to experience the pain that we’ve been through.”

Fifteen‑year‑old Lauren ‘‘AJ’’ English of Students Demand Action urged sustained action from parents, educators, law enforcement and responsible gun owners to ‘‘create safer communities’’ and asked that wearing orange be a continuing promise to take concrete steps to prevent violence.

Representatives from the Street Outreach Network, law enforcement leadership, behavioral‑health services and nonprofit volunteers introduced themselves and noted county crisis resources, including the 988 hotline and a local number.

The council read a proclamation that framed gun violence as a public‑health and public‑safety challenge, urged safe firearm storage and community resources, and reaffirmed the county’s commitment to survivors and evidence‑based prevention strategies.

No formal policy vote followed the proclamation during this portion of the session; the council scheduled a separate public hearing that afternoon on bill 23‑26.