{"id":24633,"date":"2026-06-05T08:06:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T12:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/?p=24633"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:14:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T18:14:02","slug":"richmond-and-henrico-health-districts-share-firearm-safety-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/richmond-city\/2026\/06\/05\/richmond-and-henrico-health-districts-share-firearm-safety-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Share Firearm Safety Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2026<br \/>\nMedia Contact: Bryan Hooten, 804-807-1727, bryan.hooten@vdh.virginia.gov<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 5<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>RICHMOND, Va. \u2014 Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourage you to take steps to prevent firearm injury and death. National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 5 and marks the start of <a href=\"https:\/\/wearorange.org\/\">Wear Orange Weekend<\/a>, June 5-7. Firearm-related injuries and deaths are a major public health concern for families and neighborhoods in Richmond City, Henrico County, and across Virginia. RHHD urges residents and partners to support prevention efforts that build safer, healthier communities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCommunity safety means prevention, response, and healing,\u201d said Tamara Jones-Groves, population pealth manager at Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. \u201cNational Gun Violence Awareness Day gives us an opportunity to share practical steps\u2014like safe firearm storage\u2014and support families and communities impacted by violence.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Firearm safety tips<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Store firearms unloaded and locked with a firearm safe, locked box, trigger or<br \/>\nchamber lock.<\/li>\n<li>Store and lock ammunition in a separate place from your firearms.<\/li>\n<li>Remove firearms from your home if you have a depressed or suicidal family member.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Firearm safety tips for parents and caregivers<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Before you send your child to someone\u2019s house,<\/li>\n<li>Ask if firearms in the home are stored unloaded and locked.<\/li>\n<li>Ask if the ammunition is stored separately.<\/li>\n<li>Ask if there are shotguns and rifles in the home too, not just handguns.<\/li>\n<li>Invite the children to play at your home if you have doubts about the<br \/>\nsafety of someone else\u2019s home.<\/li>\n<li>Talk to your child about risk.<\/li>\n<li>Talk with your children about the risk of firearm injury in places where they visit or play.<\/li>\n<li>Teach your child that if they find a firearm, they should leave it alone and tell an adult right away.<\/li>\n<li>Teach your child that if another child shows them a weapon, they should leave the room and immediately and tell an adult.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Richmond City and Henrico County firearm injury emergency department and death data<\/h2>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/firearm-injury\/\">VDH Firearm Injury and Death data<\/a>, in 2025 there were 261 emergency department visits by Richmond residents for firearm injury \u2013 down from 361 visits in 2024. There were 71 firearm deaths in Richmond city in 2023 \u2013 up from 64 in 2022. During the years 2019 \u2013 2023, 246 (74%) of these deaths were homicides and 81 (24%) were suicides.<\/p>\n<p>In 2025 there were 120 emergency department visits by Henrico County residents for firearm injury \u2013 up from 115 visits in 2024. There were 43 firearm deaths in Henrico County in 2023 \u2013 down from 61 in 2022. During the years 2019 \u2013 2023, 122 (51%) of these deaths were homicides and 111 (46%) were suicides.<\/p>\n<p>Note on 2024 death data: A federal government shutdown occurred from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025. During this time, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) was affected. Because NCHS finalizes death certificate data, there were delays in finalizing death certificate records. Data for 2024 will be added to the dashboard when final data are available.<\/p>\n<p>If you or a loved one is in crisis, please call 988 to reach the <a href=\"https:\/\/988lifeline.org\/\">Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Trauma Healing Response Network<\/h2>\n<p>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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>THRN supports three critical pillars of the City of Richmond\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rva.gov\/mayorsoffice\/GVPI\">Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Framework<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Crisis intervention &amp; wrap around services<\/li>\n<li>Intensive case management<\/li>\n<li>Credible messengers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The THRN\u2019s initial interactions with impacted families often occur in the immediate aftermath of an incident of gun violence. The THRN follows the family\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>In fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025 \u2013 June 30, 2026) to date, THRN network partners:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Provided more than 927 Community Wellness Checks<\/li>\n<li>Served 880 families<\/li>\n<li>Provided $35,060 in emergency funds disbursed directly to support impacted families<\/li>\n<li>Supported 10 relocations<\/li>\n<li>Responded to 126 relief requests with 111 approved relief decisions (88.1% approval)<\/li>\n<li>Prevented four retaliations<\/li>\n<li>Provided 40 grief support groups<\/li>\n<li>Responded to 52 shootings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>More information about the Trauma Healing Response Network is available at THRN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/accounts\/login\/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fthrn_rva_%2F&amp;is_from_rle\">Instagram<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/Trauma-Healing-Response-Network-61557833980400\/\">Facebook<\/a> pages. For details about the RHHD Violence Prevention Program, contact Tamara Jones-Groves at <a href=\"mailto:Tamara.Jones-Groves@vdh.virginia.gov\">Tamara.Jones-Groves@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a> or call 804-774-9776.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"># # #<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) are sister public health agencies serving our connected communities. Our mission is to protect health, champion equity, and partner to address local needs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/rhhd.gov\/\">rhhd.gov<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/henrico.gov\/health\">henrico.gov\/health<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RichmondHenricoHealthDistricts\">RHHD Facebook<\/a> | IG: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/richmondcity_hd\">@richmondcity_hd <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2026 Media Contact: Bryan Hooten, 804-807-1727, bryan.hooten@vdh.virginia.gov National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 5 RICHMOND, Va. \u2014 Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourage [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":590,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pr"],"modified_by":"bryanhooten","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - 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