A group of local organizations is holding an event July 17 to discuss gun violence prevention in Charlottesville.
The Second Annual Gun Violence Summit will be focused on the “state of gun violence” in Charlottesville using data from the UVA Center for Community Partnerships and insights from local groups and individuals working to curb gun violence, said Sam Heath from Equal Justice USA, one of the organizers.
The event will also explore a new hospital-based violence intervention program (HVIP) that UVA Health aims to launch by the end of the year. The program is designed to directly connect individuals affected by gun violence — whether victims or perpetrators — to support services, with staff accompanying them through the process.
There is a network of hospitals participating in the program nationwide; currently the closest one to Charlottesville is in Richmond at the VCU Trauma Center. According to several past studies compiled by the Center for American Progress, an independent policy institute, participants in the programs were less likely to be rehospitalized or arrested in the future.
Speakers scheduled for the July 17 event include George Rivera from Wartime Fitness Warriors, Bianca Johnson, family engagement coordinator at Charlottesville City Schools and restorative justice facilitator with Central Virginia Community Justice, and Martize Tolbert from The Fountain Fund, among others.
“We want any interested community member to attend, especially those impacted by gun violence or those doing direct service work in that area. People will learn what an HVIP is and how it will function in Charlottesville, what’s happening with gun violence in our city, and programs that are engaging those affected by violence,” said Heath.
“We’ll talk about the July 4 shooting, which is a perfect situation for why an HVIP is needed and how an HVIP could function,” he added.
Take action
Curious about gun violence prevention efforts in Charlottesville?
You can attend the Second Annual Gun Violence Summit on July 17.
Hosted by a coalition of local groups, the event will dive into what gun violence looks like in Charlottesville right now, including a discussion of the July 4 shooting in Fifeville.
It will also introduce a new hospital-based violence intervention program that UVA Health hopes to launch by the end of the year. The program would connect people affected by gun violence — whether victims or perpetrators — with services and support, right from the hospital.
The event will take place on Thursday, July 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at UVA’s Claude Moore Medical Educational Building Learning Lab, located at 200 Jeanette Lancaster Way, Charlottesville. Free parking is available at the UVA Health System South Garage.
Lunch will be provided. If you’re interested, you can register here.
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More about public safety and violence prevention in Charlottesville
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