A COALITION OF PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY GROUPS WILL HOST THE 2ND ANNUAL #KeepKidsSafe CONNECTICUT STATEWIDE GUN BUYBACK AND GUN SAFE GIVEAWAY DAY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS ADVISORY
October 13, 2022
Press Contacts:
Newtown Action Alliance Foundation: John Kelley jkelley@newtownaction.org 917-679-6475
Ethan Miller Song Foundation: Kristin Song ks@getcontrol.net
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center: Kevin Borrup, kborrup@connecticutchildrens.org
Yale New Haven Hospital: Mark D’Antonio Mark.Dantonio@YNHH.ORG
Saint Francis Hospital - Trinity Health Of New England: Brianna Barnes, brianna.barnes@trinityhealthofne.org
CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund, Inc.: Jeremy Stein jeremy@cagv.org
Mothers United Against Violence: Deborah Davis ddavismuav@gmail.com (860) 916-8620
CT Violence Intervention Program: Leonard Jahad jahad357@gmail.com
Violent Crime Survivors: Michele Voigt VCSurvivors@gmail.com 203-900-4324
Guilford Police Department: (203) 453-8061
Hartford Police Department: (860) 757-4000
Middletown Police Department: (845) 343-3151
Newtown Police Department: (203) 270-4255
Stamford Police Department: Sgt. Adriana Molina amolina@stamfordct.gov (203) 977-4444
Waterbury Police Department: Lieutenant Ryan Bessette (203) 558-7207
A COALITION OF PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY GROUPS WILL HOST THE 2ND ANNUAL #KeepKidsSafe CONNECTICUT STATEWIDE GUN BUYBACK AND GUN SAFE GIVEAWAY DAY
Newtown, CT -- Newtown Action Alliance Foundation, Ethan Miller Song Foundation, Humanium Metal, Yale New Haven Hospital, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Saint Francis Hospital, Hartford Hospital, CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund, CT Violence Intervention Program, Mothers United Against Violence, Violent Crime Survivors, Guilford Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Newtown Police Department, Stamford Police Department, and Waterbury Police Department will be hosting the 2nd Annual #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback and Gun Safe Giveaway Day on November 12, 2022.
This year, the buyback & safe storage giveaway events in the communities have been planned on Veteran’s Day Weekend to shine a light on the devastating impact of gun suicides in the veteran community.
In 2020, 45,222 Americans were killed by guns and 24,292 of these deaths were due to gun suicides. Guns are used by non-veteran U.S. adults to complete suicides in ~50% of the time. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, there were 6,146 Veteran suicides or an average of 17 per day in America in 2020 and roughly 70 percent of these deaths were due to firearms use.
In Connecticut, 219 people died from guns in 2020 and nearly 40 veterans died from all forms of suicides and guns were used in 55% of the time.
Increasing the time and distance between someone in a suicidal crisis and access to lethal means can reduce suicide risk and save lives therefore on November 12th, educational material on gun safety will be distributed along with limited number of pincode gun safes. Gun owners will have an opportunity to remove unwanted, unused, or unsafe guns from their homes by trading them in for gift cards.
During last year’s 1st Annual #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback and Gun Safe Giveaway Day, over 530 guns including 10 assault weapons were collected, over 300 gun safes and hundreds of gun safety educational materials were distributed.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a gun-free home is the safest home for children and teens. Having a gun in the home doubles an individual’s risk for homicide and triples the risk of suicide. If guns are present in the home, they must be safely stored to help prevent firearm deaths and injuries. The voluntary gun buyback and safe firearm storage events in the participating communities will offer an opportunity for gun owners to safely remove their unwanted weapons from their homes and communities. These events will also promote gun safety and safe firearm storage. For gun owners who want to keep their guns but seek a responsible way to better secure their weapons, a limited supply of pin code gun safes will be provided free of charge to those with a valid gun permit.
The buyback and safe giveaway events in Guilford, Hartford, Middletown, Newtown, Stamford, and Waterbury are 100% anonymous; therefore, IDs are not required and no questions will be asked.
The gun buyback and gun safe storage giveaway day is an important community safety initiative that will help veteran gun owners, other gun owners, and their family members to dispose of unwanted and/or unsecured guns to help reduce the risk of homicides, suicides, unintentional shootings, domestic violence, and keep guns from getting into the wrong hands - such as children, individuals who may be facing a mental health crisis, individuals with dementia, perpetrators of domestic violence, and criminals.
The buybacks will provide gift cards to individuals who turn in an operable firearm.
***Guns must be transported in the trunk of the car
***Non-operable guns, BB Guns, & Ammunition are welcome, but no gift cards will be exchanged for these items
$25: Single & Double Shot (Derringer-Style) Handguns
& Any Type of Black Powder Guns
$50: Rifles & Shotguns
$100: Pistol & Revolver Handguns
$200: Assault Weapons (Per CT Summary of Gun Laws. To Be Determined by Police. No Newly Sawed-Off Shotguns)
Guns must be delivered unloaded in clear plastic bags, and any ammunition must be delivered in a separate bag in the trunk of the car. Please note: COVID-19 guidelines will be strictly enforced. All participants must wear a mask and comply with all social distancing guidelines.
WHEN:
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 FROM 10-1PM (IN MOST LOCATIONS)
WHERE:
ANONYMOUS, NO ID, NO QUESTIONS ASKED
GUILFORD: Police Dept 400 Church St
HARTFORD: Public Works 50 Jennings Rd
MIDDLETOWN: 7735 Main St
NEWTOWN: Police Dept 191 S. Main St
STAMFORD: Police Dept 725 Bedford St
WATERBURY: Waterbury Police Department Training Center 240 Bank ST
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The Campaign to Keep Kids Safe (CKKS) was established by the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation
and the Ethan Miller Song Foundation as an educational program for parents, educators & healthcare professionals to reduce unintentional shootings among children and childhood gun suicides and homicides in America; to provide gun safes to gun owners; and promote community gun buyback opportunities.
Newtown Action Alliance Foundation (NAAF) was established after 20 children and six educators were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2021. NAAF provides comfort, education, scholarship, support and resources to people and communities impacted by gun violence in America. Our goal is to help all American communities move forward together to create a positive cultural change towards a more peaceful, less violent future.
Ethan Miller Song Foundation was formed to honor Ethan Miller Song. Ethan died in his best friend’s house. Unbeknownst to Ethan’s parents the best friend’s father stored three unsecured guns with the ammunition in a shoebox. Ethan was killed on January 31, 2018, he had just turned 15-year-old. The Ethan Miller Song Foundation’s mission is to develop and support programs and causes that keep kids safe, rescue abused/neglected animals and honor our veterans - all things close to Ethan’s heart.
Violent Crime Survivors is a community-led, survivor-centered, wrap-around organization supporting victims and survivors of violent crime by fostering a community of resources to support survivorship and justice while shaping public safety policy and creating change.
Mothers United Against Violence has been in existence since 2003 and is a 501c(3) dedicated to providing the support and direct services to families who have been impacted by gun violence and to serve the underserved population throughout various communities throughout the state. It has held marches, rallies, vigils and antiviolence activities and have offered intervention strategies for the community at large. MUAV provides direct services to victims of crime in underserved communities where the ongoing support at present is minimal and for the general community. This includes direct services in the areas of crisis intervention, advocacy, compassion, support for victims navigating through various to secure services, providing direction for short term needs, food, shelter, clothing and transportation.
CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund is a 501c3 (non-profit) organization whose mission is to end gun violence in Connecticut. The CAGV Ed Fund educates the public, elected officials, community leaders and the media about the public health crisis of gun violence in Connecticut, and works to create and implement policies and programs to reduce gun violence in all of its forms, including community gun violence, firearm suicide, domestic violence and unintentional shootings. CAGV Ed Fund programs raise awareness about actions individuals can take to prevent gun violence in their homes and communities—such as safe storage of firearms and using Connecticut’s Extreme Risk Protection Order to remove firearms from individuals who are at risk of imminent harm to themselves or others. The CAGV Ed Fund works in collaboration with CT Against Gun Violence, Inc., that works to make Connecticut safe from gun violence through legislative advocacy, public education and grassroots engagement.
Connecticut Children’s is the only hospital in Connecticut dedicated exclusively to the care of children and ranked one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and a Magnet® designated hospital. Connecticut Children’s provides more than 30 pediatric specialties along with community-based programs to uniquely care for the physical, social, and emotional needs of children. Our team of pediatric experts and care coordinators bring access to breakthrough research, advanced treatments for both rare and common diseases, and innovative health and safety programs to every child. Connecticut Children’s is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to improve access to healthcare for all children through convenient locations, care alliances and partnerships.
Saint Francis Hospital has been an anchor institution in Connecticut since 1897. Saint Francis is a member of Trinity Health Of New England and Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Saint Francis Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center, is a 617-bed hospital, a major teaching hospital, and the largest Catholic hospital in New England. Other Saint Francis entities include the Comprehensive Women’s Health Center, the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute, the Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute of Connecticut, the Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale-New Haven at Saint Francis, Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group, and Community Health and Well Being, which includes the Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity, the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry, and the Greater Hartford Family Advocacy Center. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SaintFrancisCT
CT Violence Intervention Program (CTVIP) is a group of trusted, trained community members that disrupt, prevent, and stop the spread of violence which results in trauma through crisis intervention and proactive relationships with the highest-risk youths and the institutions that impact their lives in the Greater New Haven area.