San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer will host a Gun Violence Reduction Summit tomorrow, featuring a keynote address from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and four speaking panels.
The event — on the third floor of the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, from noon to 2 p.m. — is open to the public, but RSVPs are required. The RSVP and streaming options are at linktr.ee/SupLawsonRemer.
At the end of the summit, Bonta will underscore the significance of the county’s efforts in combating gun violence.
“There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023; gun violence is now the leading cause of death for American children,” Bonta said. “Enough has long-been enough. Gun safety laws work, and yet, time and time again, they’ve been stopped or delayed from being implemented by the gun lobby and the politicians in their pockets.”
The four panels include Suicide Prevention, Community-Driven Peace Work, Protecting Children, and Holding the Firearms Industry Accountable, with elected representatives, mental health experts, and nonprofit leaders slated to speak at each one.
“If we want to eradicate gun violence, we must start with addressing the meaning of community policing, an approach that must be rooted in treating every person with compassion, dignity, and respect,” said San Diego Council President Pro-Tem Monica Montgomery Steppe, who is a panelist on the Community- Driven Peace Work panel. “I want San Diegans to feel safe on every block and in every community. This summit presents the opportunity for many stakeholders and community members to work together to bring solutions, take action to mitigate this violence and foster unity and healing.”
Videos from Reps. Mike Levin, D-Dana Point, and Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego will also be played during the event.
“The outcome I hope we achieve from this summit is for our community to become better informed about what is being done to help keep their families and children safe,” she said. “I also want us to use this summit as a launch- pad for like-minded individuals to come together and figure out how they can work together to protect more people in San Diego from gun violence.”