This week, as the holiday season begins, one community remains grief-stricken. We are confronted with the strength of community and the heartbreak of escalating gun violence across California. Amidst loss, youth leadership demands acknowledgment, not forgetting.

Measuring gun violence makes the true scope of harm visible beyond headlines and incomplete police reports. Reliable data (including non-fatal injuries and lived experiences) helps identify patterns, reveal racial and age disparities, and guide support and prevention. Visioning Beyond Violence pairs research with storytelling and art so numbers become human, actionable, and healing because we can’t solve what we can’t see.

Every day, an average of 125 people are killed by guns in the U.S., while more than 200 are wounded. Gun violence's harm is not just physical; it perpetuates mentally, leaving deep psychological scars on millions, especially youth. Gun injuries are the leading cause of death among children. Organizations like Visioning Beyond Violence address this trauma by providing support, tools, and safe spaces centered on physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being to empower y

Gun deaths in the U.S. are declining, but remain far above pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, the firearm homicide rate was 5.6 per 100,000—still higher than 2019’s 4.4. Each day, seven children lose their lives to guns, with Black youth most affected. At Visioning Beyond Violence, we turn trauma into vision through art, dialogue, and healing. Together, we can disrupt the “new normal” and create safer futures.