Milwaukee Community Unites for Gun Violence Awareness Weekend, Offering Resources and Reflection
As Milwaukee homicides decline, local organizations gather to honor victims, support survivors, and build safer summers for families and youth.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – June 6, 2026 – Even as Milwaukee sees encouraging signs, such as the fact that homicides are down 15% compared to this point last year, gun violence remains the leading cause of death for children and teenagers across the United States. On Saturday, June 6, three Milwaukee organizations are channeling that progress into purpose, coming together for a free community event centered on healing, resources, and collective action.
Safe and Sound and WAVE Educational Fund, in partnership with the City of Milwaukee, will host the National Gun Violence Awareness Weekend Community Event on Saturday, June 6th, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Safe and Sound, 4422 W Leon Terrace.
“Gun Violence Awareness Weekend, known as Wear Orange, reminds us that hope is a strategy when action follows it,” says Bridget Whitaker, Executive Director at Safe and Sound. “Milwaukee deserves safe summers. Families deserve peace. Young people deserve futures full of possibility. And when neighbors, residents, and organizations stand together, we become safer and stronger together.”
Attendees are invited to wear orange to honor victims of gun violence. They can expect free gun locks to encourage safe firearm storage at home, information about evidence-backed measures proven to reduce gun violence risk, and interactive art projects designed to foster community connection and healing. Admission is free and open to the public.
Also on Saturday, partner organization, Stop the Violence 53206, will display a drive-through memorial on Sherman Street between Burleigh and Center Streets. Photos of people taken by gun violence will honor their memory as a stark visual reminder of its cost.
The observations fall on National Gun Violence Awareness Weekend, now in its 14th year. It traces back to 2013, when Chicago teenagers began wearing orange — the color hunters wear to stay visible and safe — to honor their classmate Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed at age 15. That act of remembrance grew into a nationwide movement, with more than 300 Wear Orange observances expected across the country this year.
Milwaukee’s event reflects that same spirit: grief transformed into community, and community transformed into change.
Media are welcome to attend. Interviews with organizational representatives are available upon request. For more information, contact Bridget Whitaker, Executive Director of Safe and Sound at (414) 207-2117, or Nick Matuszewski, Executive Director of WAVE Educational Fund, at (815) 351-7948.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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