King County presents public‑health strategy to reduce youth gun deaths

Eleuthera Lisch, director of the King County Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention, told the commission that "gun violence [is] the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S." and framed the office's work as a public‑health response that coordinates community leaders, public health partners, law enforcement and service providers. Lisch said the office prioritizes data analysis to direct services to individuals at highest risk and partners with survivors and directly impacted communities in program design.

Lisch described several key initiatives: the Regional Peacekeepers Collective (a network delivering community violence intervention services), Harborview’s Hospital‑based Violence Intervention Program that provides bedside support and referrals, a Community Violence Intervention training and well‑being academy to build workforce capacity, and a Youth Ambassador Program to help youth craft a policy agenda focused on reducing gun violence. The commission received the briefing and requested continued updates on regional outcomes and program evaluation.