RHHD Shares Firearm Safety Tips 

Posted on by amberpadilla

Last Updated: June 6, 2025

National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 6, 2025

RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourage community members to take steps to prevent firearm injury and death by practicing firearm safety. June 6 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

“Gun violence is a public health crisis that affects too many families in our communities,” said Tamara Jones-Groves, population health manager at Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. “National Gun Violence Awareness Day is a time to raise awareness, share practical safety tips, and remind everyone that secure firearm storage can save lives. We all have a role to play in preventing tragedy whether through safe storage, open conversations with our children, or community support for those impacted.”

RHHD encourages community members to take the following steps to secure firearms and prevent firearm injury and death.

Firearm Safety Tips:

  • Store firearms unloaded and locked with a firearm safe, locked box, trigger or
    chamber lock.
  • Store and lock ammunition in a separate place from your firearms.
  • Remove firearms from your home if you have a depressed or suicidal family member

Firearm Safety Tips for Parents and Caregivers:

  • Before you send your child to someone’s house,
    • Ask if firearms in the home are stored unloaded and locked.
    • Ask if the ammunition is stored separately.
    • Ask if there are shotguns and rifles in the home too, not just handguns.
    • Invite the children to play at your home if you have doubts about the
      safety of someone else’s home.

  • Talk to your child about risk.
    • Talk with your children about the risk of firearm injury in places where they visit or play.
    • Teach your child that if they find a firearm, they should leave it alone and tell an adult right away.
    • Teach your child that if another child shows them a weapon, they should leave the room and immediately and tell an adult.

According to VDH Firearm Injury and Death data, in 2024 there were 361 Emergency Department Visits by Richmond residents for firearm injury – up from 283 visits in 2023. There were 71 firearm deaths in Richmond city in 2023 – up from 64 in 2022. During the years 2019 – 2023, 246 (74%) of these deaths were homicides and 81 (24%) were suicides.

In 2024 there were 115 Emergency Department Visits by Henrico County residents for firearm injury – down from 118 visits in 2023. There were 43 firearm deaths in Henrico County in 2023 – down from 61 in 2022. During the years 2019 – 2023, 122 (51%) of these deaths were homicides and 111 (46%) were suicides.

If you or a loved one is in crisis, please call 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Trauma Healing Response Network
RHHD serves as the Operating Agent for the Trauma Healing Response Network (THRN) and coordinates the THRN as part of an overall gun violence prevention program. RHHD’s Violence Prevention Program Manager and Trauma Healing Response Network Coordinator identify THRN partner organizations, determine funding allocations for THRN partners based on activities and services they provide to impacted families, liaise with schools where families impacted by gun violence attend, and manage THRN data collection and evaluation.

THRN supports three critical pillars of the City of Richmond’s Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Framework:

  • Crisis intervention & wrap around services
  • Intensive case management
  • Credible messengers

THRN coordinates, tracks, and monitors community-based, culturally responsive, resident-led programs to facilitate healing and respond to acts of gun violence through an evidence-based, trauma-informed lens.

The THRN’s initial interactions with impacted families often occur in the immediate aftermath of an incident of gun violence. The THRN follows the family’s lead to determine what they need and are ready to receive. THRN support connects people to services through partner organizations; 60 days of case management following an incident of gun violence; and/or connections to longer-term mental health and resilience services.

In fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025) to date, THRN network partners have:

  • Provided more than 3,490 Community Wellness Checks
  • Reached more than 8,741 Richmond residents
  • Provided $36,450 in emergency funds disbursed directly to support impacted families
  • Provided 16 families with emergency housing relocation support
  • Provided four families with permanent relocation support
  • Intervened in 26 (calendar year 2024) and 11 (calendar year 2025 to date) cases at high risk for retaliation-related events

Community members can learn more about the THRN by visiting their Instagram and Facebook pages. For more information on the RHHD Youth Violence Prevention Program, contact Lorraine Wright at lorraine.wright@vdh.virginia.gov or call 804-482-8016.

National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 6 and marks the start of Wear Orange Weekend, June 6 – 8.

For more health and safety information, follow RHHD on Instagram at @richmondcity_hd and on Facebook, visit rhhd.gov, and sign up for RHHD’s monthly newsletter at rhhd.gov/news.

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