LOS ANGELES
GUN VIOLENCE MEMORIAL

The Gun Violence Memorial has come to Exposition Park in Los Angeles to remember victims of gun violence and inspire the #CourageToAct. These vases of white flowers honor the 3,400 Californians who died from gun violence in 2020.

Open to the public October 18–22, 2021.

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GUN DEATHS ROSE 18% IN CALIFORNIA LAST YEAR

That’s 3,400 people in California, some of the 45,000 lives lost to rising gun violence nationwide. To honor this preventable loss of life, we’ve installed vases of white flowers in Los Angeles.


The Gun Violence Memorial is open for public viewing. We encourage you to visit, reflect, and urge your elected officials to take action.


Exposition Park
Los Angeles
October 18–22

PLEDGE TO FIGHT GUN VIOLENCE

Stand with Gabby Giffords and join our efforts to make our country safer from gun violence. It takes all of us to fight fear and despair with courage and action.

A PLACE TO REMEMBER & REFLECT

We’re visiting Los Angeles to commemorate victims of gun violence and inspire the #CouragetoAct.

In April, Giffords installed a memorial on the National Mall in Washington DC with 40,000 flowers representing the number of Americans who die from gun violence each year. Tragically, new data indicates that number rose to 45,000 in 2020.

That’s why we’re taking the Gun Violence Memorial on the road and visiting Los Angeles. No state or community in the United States is safe from preventable shootings—nearly every American will know a victim of gun violence at some point in their lifetime. This memorial will visualize that reality in a bold and unique way that refuses to be overlooked or ignored.

Giffords will host press events and leadership will meet with community partners, local officials, and activists. Residents will have the opportunity to visit the memorial, dedicate a flower, and learn more about the fight to end gun violence.

A PLACE TO INSPIRE ACTION

We can save lives from gun violence, but only if we have leaders with the courage to act.

Gun violence impacts every community in California in tragic and preventable ways. While state leaders have taken bold action to save lives from gun violence, making the state a national model for many gun safety policies and programs, Congress continues to ignore the violence that affects people every day from San Diego to Sacramento and across this nation. However, there are steps that can be taken in Washington. California’s senators support lifesaving legislation like universal background checks, but Senate Republicans continue to impede efforts to strengthen our gun safety laws.  

Preliminary CDC gun violence data from 2020 indicates a clear trend: gun violence is on the rise. An estimated 3,400 Californians lost their lives to gun violence last year. That’s an 18% increase over the previous year.

California

On average, someone is killed with a gun every 3 hours in California.
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3,090
gun deaths per year
44TH
HIGHEST GUN DEATH RATE
7.6
Gun Deaths per 100K RESIDENTS

California–Gun Deaths by Intent

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gun SUICIDE

Guns are the most common means of suicide in California—37% of suicides in the state involve guns.

An average of 1,596 people die by gun suicide in California each year, representing 53% of all gun deaths.

California–Gun Suicide Rate over Time

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California

GUN HOMICIDE

The majority of homicides in America involve firearms. In California, 70% of homicides are committed with guns.

An average of 1,364 people are killed in gun homicides in California each year, representing 44% of all gun deaths.

California–Homicides with Guns vs. Other Means

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California

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Guns make domestic violence incidents far more likely to end in death. Firearms are used in 50% of intimate partner homicides in California.

From 2014 to 2018, 360 people in California were shot and killed by an abusive partner. 85% of those killed were female.



California–Intimate Partner Homicides with Guns vs. Other Means

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California

KIDS & GUNS

Gun violence is the third-leading cause of death for children in California. 

From 2015 to 2019 550 children under 18 were killed with a gun in California. 

California–Gun Deaths by Intent for Children under 18

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California

RACIAL DISPARITIES

In California, Black people are 9.3 times more likely to die of gun homicide than white people.

White people in California are 2.8 times more likely to die of gun suicide than Black people.

California–Gun Death Rates by Race

Use the dropdown menu to see how rates vary by intent.

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California

LEARN MORE

State-level data comes from the CDC and the FBI. See our full methodology for more information.

States with the strongest gun laws generally have less gun violence. Background checks, extreme risk laws, and violence intervention programs are crucial to saving lives. Explore California’s gun laws in depth.

GUN VIOLENCE MEMORIAL PARTNERS

Thank you to our dedicated partners for joining us in honoring the 3,400 Californians who lost their lives to gun violence last year. We admire the lifesaving work you do day in, day out. 

FUTURE COALITION

Founded in 2018 by youth activists, for youth activists, Future Coalition is a national network for youth-led organizations and youth organizers across the country. With a focus on supporting BIPOC young people, queer young people, and young people on the frontlines, Future Coalition works collaboratively to provide youth-led groups with the resources, tools, and support they need to create transformative change in our communities and in this country.
futurecoalition.org

PREVENTION INSTITUTE

Prevention Institute (PI) is a national nonprofit with offices in Oakland, Los Angeles, Houston, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to build prevention and health equity into key policies and actions at the federal, state, local, and organizational level to ensure that the places where all people live, work, play and learn foster health, safety and wellbeing. Since 1997, we have partnered with communities, local government entities, foundations, multiple sectors, and public health agencies to bring cutting-edge research, practice, strategy, and analysis to the pressing health and safety concerns of the day. We have applied our approach to healthy eating and active living, land use, health systems transformation, safety, community trauma, mental wellbeing and substance misuse, and pandemic recovery, among other issues.
preventioninstitute.org

URBAN PEACE INSTITUTE

The Urban Peace Institute (UPI) is a recognized leader in the field of community safety, just policing, and systems reform to end violence and mass incarceration. For over 17 years, UPI has worked to develop and implement innovative solutions to address community violence and engage in system reform. 
urbanpeaceinstitute.org

WOMEN AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

For almost 3 decades, gun violence survivors and the women and men of the WoMen Against Gun Violence Board of Directors have mobilized communities — local, state and national — to take decisive action against the dangers of firearms as together we advocate for meaningful gun regulations and educate the public and our policymakers about the human, financial and public health consequences of gun violence.
wagv.org

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SPOTLIGHT

GABBY’S STORY
OF COURAGE

In 2011, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head while meeting with constituents in Tucson, Arizona. In the face of adversity and opposition, she’s inspired millions to fight for a safer America, one free from gun violence.

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OUR WORK

Giffords is fighting every day to build a safer America, free from the fear of gun violence.