Protesters march across Bay Area bridge for National Gun Violence Awareness day
SAN FRANCISCO - Hundreds of people dressed in orange gathered in San Francisco Sunday to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Many, like Mattie Scott, shared stories about how their lives have changed because of gun violence.
Scott's son was shot with a semiautomatic assault weapon and killed 27 years ago.
Today she’s saddened that other parents are still losing kids for the same reason.
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"This is an epidemic that has gotten out of proportion," Scott said. "It's time for the American people to pay attention to it."
According to the CDC, guns are the leading cause of death among kids in America. In 2021, 54% of the nearly 49,000 gun-related deaths were suicide. 43% were homicides.
Attendees like gun violence survivor Aurthor Renowitzky said seeing all the participants gave them hope.
15 years ago, bullets blasted through Renowitzky's chest and lungs and fractured his spinal cord.
"When I woke up in the hospital, I had no hope; I was depressed, I felt down, I wanted to take my own life at that point," Renowitzky said.
Now, he has his own nonprofit and gathers strength from days like today.