King County, City of Seattle and community leaders unite for 100 Days of Action against gun violence

Summary: King County Executive Dow Constantine, in partnership with the City of Seattle and local community-based organizations, today announced the launch of 100 Days of Action — an intensive, collaborative initiative to confront gun violence.

Today King County Executive Dow Constantine joined Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and community leaders to launch 100 Days of Action against gun violence. This initiative, which comes as the U.S. surgeon general declared gun violence a national public health crisis, will expand community resources and promote safe gun storage.

King County is investing $1.6 million over the next 100 days, including $1 million to expand community-led violence intervention programs and $250,000 to support victims and families impacted by gun violence through the Harborview Medical Center hospital-based intervention program.

“Gun violence is a public health crisis that demands urgent action,” said Executive Dow Constantine. “This 100-day, intensive initiative to confront gun violence will expand vital community resources and intervention programs to pave the way for lasting change.”

Today’s launch is bolstered by Mayor Harrell’s recently announced investments in youth mental health and safety. This includes $10 million in funding for a coordinated approach to youth mental health and safety resources for students and families, of which $2.4 million will be allocated to expand access to telehealth services and $2 million for violence prevention, intervention and interruption services.

“There have been too many instances of gun violence in and around our schools and throughout our city. Keeping our young people, families and community members safe requires regional alignment and bold action from everyone. The city cannot solve this issue alone, but we are committed to convening partnerships and leveraging our resources to make sustainable progress,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Together, with the County and our community partners, our 100 days of action will help us deliver on calls for action from our students, educators, parents and community members, not just for the summer, but this upcoming school year and beyond.”

“In King County, the gun violence epidemic has worsened every year since 2018, and leaves devastated families and communities in its wake. Executive Constantine’s 100 Days of Action is necessary to address the crisis with urgency, especially in the summer months that always see spikes in violence,” said King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay. “I believe this initiative will complement the more long-term 5-part violence prevention strategy I announced today through King County’s supplemental budget. We need both urgent action and long-term planning to address this crisis and keep our communities safe. I support the Executive’s plan and look forward to working with all involved.”

100 Days of Action

Last month, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a landmark advisory declaring gun violence a national public health crisis. To face this emergency and build on the City of Seattle’s investments, Public Health — Seattle & King County is allocating $1.6 million for 100 Days of Action against gun violence.

In addition to expanding community programs and resources for victims, King County will:

• Increase the distribution of free gun lockboxes to safely store firearms.
• Expand the Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention’s community resource guide and create a new online portal to help organizations access information.
• Launch a public awareness campaign on gun violence prevention.
• Work with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform to study gun violence.
• Develop a list of policy and budget priorities that advance gun violence prevention work during the Washington State Legislature’s 2025 Legislative Session.
• Outline next steps following the 100 Days of Action initiative.

In alignment with King County’s 100 Days of Action, the City of Seattle will:

• Expand safe passage initiatives for young people.
• Provide immediate wrap-around services for young people at highest risk of being directly impacted by violence.
• Convene school personnel, city and county partners, violence interruption and intervention providers and other stakeholders to develop a plan to reduce gun violence for the 2024–2025 school year.
• Develop an aggressive state legislative agenda to reduce gun violence in partnership with King County and state legislators.

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S., surpassing car crashes, cancer and drug overdoses.

Gun violence disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities. In King County, over half of firearm victims in 2023 were Black men and boys, despite the Black population making up only 7.2% of the county population.

During last month’s State of County Address, Executive Constantine called for a 100-day intensive effort against gun violence, directing the newly established Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention to coordinate this work in collaboration with the City of Seattle, local community organizations and national experts.

100 Days of Action is modeled after similar short-term, intensive gun violence prevention efforts across the country that have had successful outcomes, including the City of Boston’s annual Summer Safety Plan.

Following 100 Days of Action, King County will review the initiative to evaluate its impacts and guide future gun violence prevention work.

Partner Quotes

“Every individual has a critical role to play in preventing gun violence,” said Eleuthera Lisch, director of the Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention. “As emphasized in the recent announcement from the U.S. Surgeon General, addressing gun violence is not just a matter of procedure but a collective responsibility that demands action. We have to mobilize with the kind of urgency that had King County at the forefront of addressing the COVID crisis. We must coordinate our response across government and work with community to collectively stem the tide of this crisis. Gun violence affects us all, directly or indirectly and we will only succeed in addressing it if we work together.”

“We are losing our children. They’re dying, generations lost. We have to be that consistent source of love and support,” said Shantel Patu, executive director of Urban Family. “Community organizations, schools, and families are the interwoven lifeline that no one else can replicate. That’s why community organizations like ours, who have trusted relationships with young people, weave webs of care and support for all families.”

“We commend Executive Constantine for calling for 100 Days of Action,” said Dominique Davis, founder and CEO of Community Passageways. “The summer months are when we see gun violence go up and we will be in the streets every day, boots on the ground to do our part. And we need everyone to do their part too. During the 100 Days of Action, we will work alongside our partners to create 100 Days of Peace. We have to have strong collaboration between government and our communities if we want to make real change, and this is a perfect example of what that looks like.”

“The ‘100 Days of Action’ initiative is a crucial step towards building the advocacy momentum critical for success during the next legislative session in Olympia,” said Renee Hopkins, CEO of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. “We recognize gun violence is an urgent public health crisis, and we are honored to collaborate with King County, the City of Seattle, and our regional partners to address this pressing issue and work together to champion sensible gun legislation and secure vital resources for community-led solutions.”