From February 1–7, 2023, we will honor the fifth annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week. During National Gun Violence Survivors Week, we take stock of the terrible human toll of America’s gun violence crisis — and recommit ourselves to supporting survivors with action. The date marks the approximate time that gun deaths in the United States surpass the number of gun deaths experienced by peer countries in an entire calendar year.

Tragically and unacceptably, America’s gun death rate is 13 times greater than that of our peer countries. Every day in the U.S., 110 people are shot and killed, more than 200 people survive gunshot wounds and countless others witness acts of gun violence. The focus of National Gun Violence Survivors Week is on sharing gun violence survivors’ stories in their own words and encouraging allies to amplify their voices, especially those who are under-represented in our national dialogue.

In 2023, we will be highlighting the role of gun violence survivors as changemakers who are leading efforts to end gun violence and support other survivors in their communities. The date of National Gun Violence Survivors Week also marks the start of Black History Month, and Black people in America are disproportionately impacted by our nation’s gun violence crisis. This year, National Gun Violence Survivors Week will shine a spotlight on the critical role of Black survivor leaders across the gun violence prevention movement. In addition, national virtual events will highlight the impact of gun violence on youth in America, on first responders and healthcare workers, on survivors whose shootings remain unsolved, and much more.

Gun violence in any form leaves an indelible mark on the lives of those who are personally impacted — whether someone has witnessed an act of gun violence, been threatened or wounded with a gun, or had a loved one wounded or killed with a gun. That’s why we use the term ‘survivor’ as inclusive of anyone who has personally experienced gun violence. This can include but is not limited to gun suicides, gun homicides, domestic violence involving a gun, mass shootings, unintentional shootings, and more. We are a nation of survivors. Firearms are the number one killer of children and teens in America. Every type of gun violence must be seen and represented to create change. Through participating in this campaign, you can help:

To put a human face to America’s gun violence crisis

Gun violence changes lives forever. By sharing stories during National Gun Violence Survivors Week and throughout the year, we honor the human consequences of gun violence in America and those who have been affected.

Raise awareness and provide education on all forms of gun violence

Through elevating the lived experiences of gun violence in all its forms, we can build understanding of the full scope of gun violence. This includes the reality that more than 99 percent of gun deaths in the US are from shootings other than mass shootings, that six out of every 10 gun deaths are suicides, that gun homicide disproportionately impacts communities of color, women and children, and that in America, many gun homicides, especially those committed against Black and Latinx people, go unsolved.

Enable individuals to recognize their direct, personal connection to gun violence

Through hearing stories, we can help more people who have experienced gun violence know that they are not alone, and recognize the power of their voice.

Partners can join the campaign in the following ways:

1. Share facts and information about National Gun Violence Survivors Week on social media using the hashtag #GVSurvivorsWeek. Help to spread awareness about this important week and the impacts of gun violence on people in America. Find our social media toolkit here.
2. Honor and amplify stories of people in America who have directly experienced gun violence, including Survivor Changemakers, using the hashtag #GVSurvivorsWeek. Stories will be elevated on social media as well as through the Moments That Survive Story Wall site.
3. Share stories of those who have directly experienced gun violence and Survivor Changemakers from your organization’s network.
4. Visit the Gun Violence Memorial Project at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C.
5. Attend or host an event in your community. We will have an event lookup tool. Please let us know if you plan to host an event so we can include it on our events page.

Everytown will be creating resources, including a digital toolkit, to make it easier for partners to engage online and will lift up work and stories from partners on the front lines of this work throughout the week. If you have other ideas for how your organization can partner, please email partnerships@everytown.org.

More than 60 partner organizations, including national membership groups, non-profit organizations, and faith partners across various issue areas, joined the effort in recognition of National Gun Violence Survivors Week.

• American Association of Suicidology
• American Federation of Teachers
• American Medical Student Association
• Amnesty International USA
• Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative
• Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
• Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus
• CeaseFirePA
• Center for American Progress
• Change the Ref
• Cities United
• Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
• Clergy for Safer Cities
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
• Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence
• Democratic Attorneys General Association
• Equality Federation
• Everytown Interfaith Advisory Council
• Gays Against Guns
• Generation Progress
• Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence
• Greater New York Hospital Association
• Guns Down America
• Hadiya’s Promise
• Hope and Heal Fund
• Human Rights Campaign
• Jared’s Heart of Success
• Jewish Women International
• Latino Victory Fund
• LatinoJustice PRLDEF
• Let’s Thrive Baltimore Inc.
• March For Our Lives
• Moms Rising
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• National Network to End Domestic Violence
• National Parent Teacher Association
• National Urban League
• Newtown Action Alliance
• Orange Ribbons for Jamie
• Pax Christi USA
• Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
• Safe Kids Worldwide
• Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference Inc
• Sandy Hook Promise
• Scrubs Addressing the Firearm Epidemic
• Sojourners
• Stop Handgun Violence
• The Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute
• The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention
• The Soul Box Project
• This is Our Lane
• Voto Latino