Elected officials from across Orange County dressed in matching shades of orange on Friday to lead a rally on gun violence awareness. 

A joint color guard from the Town of Chapel Hill and Orange County raised an orange flag on the flagpole at Peace and Justice Plaza. An annual tradition, the color orange honors gun violence victims and gun violence advocacy. 

Chapel Hill, Carborro, and Hillsborough representatives, local volunteers, and community members also gathered at the plaza to deliver and hear speeches advocating for reform. This year marks the ninth year of annual Gun Violence Awareness rallies, but Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson said the event hit home this year especially. 

“After years of thoughts and prayers for other towns and other communities, we found ourselves dealing with the issues of gun violence on campus this year and just this week with a suspected murder suicide in our community,” Anderson said to the crowd.

The Chapel Hill Police Department are still investigating an “apparent” murder-suicide that happened at the Chapel View Apartment Complex on Monday. Last August, the University of North Carolina went into a campus-wide lockdown when a graduate student fatally shot his faculty advisor in a gun violence incident that captured national attention.

North Carolina ranks 23rd for gun deaths in the United States, and 59 percent of Americans nationwide report that they or someone they care about has been affected by gun violence — “most of us sitting here today,” said Eliazbeth Hoane, one of the speakers at the event.

Hoane is a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and it’s her third year with the organization. 

“This isn’t just about statistics and headlines, it’s about real people, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends who have been taken from us all too soon,” she said in her speech. “It’s about children who go to school every day wondering if they’ll make it home safely. It’s about survivors who have to live with the physical and emotional scars of gun violence for the rest of their lives.”

Hoane advocated for addressing the root causes of gun violence: promoting responsible gun ownership, supporting education and training programs, and implementing common sense measures like universal background checks. She also said that awareness is just one part of the work and she wants the community to know that the Chapel Hill town elected officials are supportive and want to see change happen. 

Anderson urged the community to take a stand by wearing orange and make their voices heard by voting with gun violence prevention in mind during the upcoming state and federal elections. 

“We have to make our communities and our country safer, especially for our kids,” she said.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Chapel Hill, Carrboro Residents Rally Against Gun Violence in Wake of National Tragedies
National Gun Violence Awareness Day this year fell at a time where the United States is still mourning several recent mass shootings. In Chapel Hill, community members and local elected officials gathered Friday to recognize those affected by gun violence and to call for reform. While the rally at the Peace and Justice Plaza has […]
Our Town: The Story of Ted Voorhees, Chapel Hill Town Manager
The Town of Chapel Hill in collaboration with 97.9 The Hill WCHL & Chapelboro.com present “Our Town: Stories of Chapel Hill.” Each month you’ll hear from the people at the heart of your local government who are learning, serving, and working together to build a community where people thrive. This month, Ted Voorhees reflects on his first six months serving as town manager; and tells the story of why he chose to come to Chapel Hill. 
OWASA Sets Date for Full Closure of W. Rosemary Street. Here's What You Need to Know
As part of an extensive water main replacement by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority, part of West Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill is set to close to all traffic in the coming weeks.
Chapel Hill Passes Amendments to LUMO, Plans to Expand Missing Middle Housing in Town
Chapel Hill recently passed amendments to its Land Use Management Ordinance that could make it easier to expand housing options in town.
Orange County Governments Share Service Delays, Facility Closures Following Weekend Snow
Following inches of snow, local governments in Orange and Chatham counties alerted residents to how their operations are affected for Monday and Tuesday.
Here Are Winter Storm Resources in Orange County During Cold and Snowy Weather
With a massive winter storm forecasted, many in Orange County are preparing for frigid temperatures. Here are key resources to stay safe.
Local Government Closures, Service Changes Carry Over Into Tuesday from Adverse Conditions
Editor’s Note: This story is updated with the latest closures and changes through Tuesday, Jan. 27 Frigid temperatures mixed with precipitation from Winter Storm Fern has led to much of North Carolina sheltering and staying over the weekend and to start this week. To help encourage that — and to allow some of its staff […]
Orange County Communities to Observe Martin Luther King Day Jan. 19. Here's How it Affects Services.
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19 will affect local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s what residents can expect this year: Town of Chapel Hill Most town offices will be closed Monday. Residential trash normally collected Monday will be collected Wednesday, Jan. 21. Curbside recycling collection will […]
NCDOT Installing Pedestrian Infrastructure at 3 N.C. Highway 54 Intersections
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will partner with the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro to install pedestrian and bicyclist improvements at three intersections along North Carolina Highway 54. NCDOT will begin work Monday, Feb. 2 to install crosswalks with traffic signals at the highway’s intersections with: The Kingswood Apartments complex in Chapel Hill […]
Town of Chapel Hill Debuts New Logo, Website Design
The Town of Chapel Hill has debuted a new logo and town website, chapelhillnc.gov, amid a branding overhaul. The new logo depicts a stylized tulip poplar on rolling hills. “With this new website, we’ve created a more user-friendly experience for all who visit our site,” said Susan Brown, the town’s Director of Strategic Communications and […]
›