4TH ANNUAL #KeepKidsSafe CONNECTICUT STATEWIDE GUN BUYBACK AND GUN SAFE GIVEAWAY DAY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS ADVISORY
September 30, 2024
PRESS CONFERENCE:
PUBLIC HEALTH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION, AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION GROUPS TO HOST THE 4TH ANNUAL #KeepKidsSafe CONNECTICUT STATEWIDE GUN BUYBACK AND GUN SAFE GIVEAWAY DAY
NEW CONNECTICUT LAW REQUIRES ALL GUNS TO BE SAFELY STORED
WHAT:
Newtown Action Alliance Foundation and Ethan Miller Song Foundation, founders of the Campaign to #KeepKidsSafe, in collaboration with Wilton Quaker Meeting, Humanium Metal, Yale New Haven Hospital, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Saint Francis Hospital, Stamford Health, Hartford Hospital, MidState Medical Center, CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund, CT Violence Intervention Program, Mothers United Against Violence, Guilford Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Meriden Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Newtown Police Department, Norwalk Police Department, Stamford Police Department, and Waterbury Police Department will be hosting a press event regarding the 4th Annual #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback and Gun Safe Giveaway Day to be held on Saturday, October 5, 2024.
In addition, the police departments from Bridgeport, Cheshire, Danbury, Easton, New Haven, Plainfield, and Waterford will be hosting the Annual #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Safe Giveaway event in their communities.
WHO:
Kristin Song, Ethan Miller Song Foundation
Cali Taylor, Jr Newtown Action Alliance
Carol Wakeman, Newtown Action Alliance
Deborah Davis, Mothers United Against Violence
Colleen Violette, CT Department of Public Health
Sgt. Christopher Mastroianni, Hartford Police Department
David Shapiro, M.D., Saint Francis Hospital
Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA, Connecticut Children’s
Alfred Croteau, M.D., Hartford Hospital
Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz
Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, Hartford
WHEN:
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 10:00AM ET
WHERE:
Outside, Connecticut State Capitol, 210 Capitol Ave, Hartford, CT 06106
BACKGROUND:
Guns are the number killer of American children and teens. The Campaign to #KeepKidsSafe is working with public health, law enforcement, gun violence prevention, and community violence intervention groups to host the 4th Annual #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback & Gun Safe Giveaway events in eight communities across Connecticut.
On June 6, 2023, Governor Ned Lamont signed House Bill 6667, An Act Concerning Gun Violence into law. One of the provisions of HB6667 extended the firearm safe storage law to all firearms people store or keep on their premises, rather than only under specified circumstances; expands the scope of the crime of negligently storing a firearm to apply when anyone, not just a minor, obtains an unlawfully stored firearm and injures or kills himself or herself or someone else. The effective date of HB6667 is October 1, 2023 therefore gun owners with pistol permits are encouraged to pick up a free gun safe at the event.
During the last three Annual #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback and Gun Safe Giveaway Day, over 1178 guns including 23 assault weapons were collected, over 828 gun safes and hundreds of gun safety educational materials were distributed.
A gun-free home is the safest home for children and teens. Having a gun in the home doubles an individual’s risk for homicide and triples the risk of suicide. If guns are present in the home then they must be safely stored to help prevent firearm deaths and injuries.
The voluntary gun buyback and safe firearm storage events in the participating communities will offer an opportunity for gun owners to safely remove their unwanted unneeded weapons from their homes and communities. These events will also promote gun safety and safe firearm storage. For gun owners who want to keep their guns but seek a responsible way to better secure their weapons, a limited supply of pin code gun safes will be provided free of charge to those with a valid gun permit.
The gun buyback and gun safe giveaway events are 100% anonymous; therefore, IDs are not required.
The gun buyback and gun safe storage giveaway day is an important community safety initiative that will help veteran gun owners, other gun owners, and their family members to dispose of unwanted and/or unsecured guns to help reduce the risk of homicides, suicides, unintentional shootings, domestic violence, and keep guns from getting into the wrong hands - such as children, individuals who may be facing a mental health crisis, individuals with dementia, perpetrators of domestic violence, and criminals.
The buyback and safe giveaway events will be located in these towns and cities:
ANONYMOUS, NO ID, NO QUESTIONS ASKED
GUILFORD: Police Department, 400 Church Street (9AM-1PM)
HARTFORD: Police Department, 50 Jennings Road (9AM-3PM)
MERIDEN: Police Department 30 Butler Street (10AM-1PM)
NEWTOWN: Police Department, 191 South Main Street (10AM-1PM)
NORWALK: Police Department, 1 Monroe Street (10AM-1PM)
STAMFORD: Police Department, 725 Bedford Street (10AM-2PM)
WATERBURY: Police Department Training Center, 240 Bank Street (9AM-1PM)
The buybacks will provide gift cards to individuals who turn in an operable firearm.
***Guns must be transported in the trunk of the car
***Non-operable guns, BB Guns, & Ammunition are welcome, but no gift cards will be exchanged for these items
$25: Single & Double Shot (Derringer-Style) Handguns
& Any Type of Black Powder Guns
$50: Rifles & Shotguns
$100: Pistol & Revolver Handguns
$200: Assault Weapons (Per CT Summary of Gun Laws. To Be Determined by Police. No Newly Sawed-Off Shotguns)
Guns must be delivered unloaded in clear plastic bags, and any ammunition must be delivered in a separate bag in the trunk of the car.
In addition, the following towns will participate in the gun safe giveaway.
BRIDGEPORT: Police Department, 300 Congress Street (10AM-1PM)
CHESHIRE: Police Department, 500 Highland Avenue (10AM-1PM)
DANBURY: Police Department, 375 Main Street (10AM-1PM)
EASTON: Police Department, 700 Morehouse Road (10AM-1PM)
NEW HAVEN: Police Department, 230 Ashmun Street (10AM-1PM)
NEW LONDON: Police Department, 5 Governor Winthrop Boulevard (10AM-1PM)
MIDDLETOWN: Police Department, 222 Main Street (10AM-1PM)
PLAINFIELD: Police Department, 210 Norwich Road (9AM-12PM)
WATERFORD: Police Department, 41 Avery Lane (10AM-1PM)
PRESS CONTACTS:
Newtown Action Alliance Foundation: John Kelley jkelley@newtownaction.org 917-679-6475
Ethan Miller Song Foundation: Kristin Song ks@getcontrol.net
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center: Kevin Borrup, kborrup@connecticutchildrens.org
Hartford Hospital: Tina Varona, Tina.Varona@hhchealth.org
MidState Medical Center: Elizabeth Marino, Elizabeth.Marino@hhchealth.org
Saint Francis Hospital - Trinity Health Of New England: Brianna Barnes, brianna.barnes@trinityhealthofne.org
Yale New Haven Hospital: Mark D’Antonio Mark.Dantonio@YNHH.ORG
CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund, Inc.: Franck Adjisegbe Franck@cagv.org
CT Violence Intervention Program: Leonard Jahad jahad357@gmail.com
Mothers United Against Violence: Deborah Davis ddavismuav@gmail.com (860) 916-8620
Guilford Police Department: (203) 453-8061
Hartford Police Department: (860) 757-4000
Meriden Police Department: (203) 630-6201
Middletown Police Department: (845) 343-3151
Newtown Police Department: (203) 270-4255
Norwalk Police Department: (203) 854-3000
Stamford Police Department: Sgt. Adriana Molina amolina@stamfordct.gov (203) 977-4444
Waterbury Police Department: Lieutenant Ryan Bessette (203) 558-7207
Humanium Metal: Alev Karaduman, alev.karaduman@imsweden.org
Wilton Quaker Meeting: Peter Murchison, pdmurch@gmail.com
Stamford Health Systems: Joseph Hines Jhines@stamhealth.org
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The Campaign to Keep Kids Safe (CKKS) was established by the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation and the Ethan Miller Song Foundation as an educational program for parents, educators & healthcare professionals to reduce unintentional shootings among children and childhood gun suicides and homicides in America; to provide gun safes to gun owners; and promote community gun buyback opportunities.
Newtown Action Alliance Foundation (NAAF) was established after 20 children and six educators were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2021. NAAF provides comfort, education, scholarship, support and resources to people and communities impacted by gun violence in America. Our goal is to help all American communities move forward together to create a positive cultural change towards a more peaceful, less violent future.
Ethan Miller Song Foundation was formed to honor Ethan Miller Song. Ethan died in his best friend’s house. Unbeknownst to Ethan’s parents the best friend’s father stored three unsecured guns with the ammunition in a shoebox. Ethan was killed on January 31, 2018, he had just turned 15-year-old. The Ethan Miller Song Foundation’s mission is to develop and support programs and causes that keep kids safe, rescue abused/neglected animals and honor our veterans - all things close to Ethan’s heart.
Mothers United Against Violence has been in existence since 2003 and is a 501c(3) dedicated to providing the support and direct services to families who have been impacted by gun violence and to serve the underserved population throughout various communities throughout the state. It has held marches, rallies, vigils and antiviolence activities and have offered intervention strategies for the community at large. MUAV provides direct services to victims of crime in underserved communities where the ongoing support at present is minimal and for the general community. This includes direct services in the areas of crisis intervention, advocacy, compassion, support for victims navigating through various to secure services, providing direction for short term needs, food, shelter, clothing and transportation.
CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund is a 501c3 (non-profit) organization whose mission is to end gun violence in Connecticut. The CAGV Ed Fund educates the public, elected officials, community leaders and the media about the public health crisis of gun violence in Connecticut, and works to create and implement policies and programs to reduce gun violence in all of its forms, including community gun violence, firearm suicide, domestic violence and unintentional shootings. CAGV Ed Fund programs raise awareness about actions individuals can take to prevent gun violence in their homes and communities—such as safe storage of firearms and using Connecticut’s Extreme Risk Protection Order to remove firearms from individuals who are at risk of imminent harm to themselves or others. The CAGV Ed Fund works in collaboration with CT Against Gun Violence, Inc., that works to make Connecticut safe from gun violence through legislative advocacy, public education and grassroots engagement.
Connecticut Children’s is the only hospital in Connecticut dedicated exclusively to the care of children and ranked one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and a Magnet® designated hospital. Connecticut Children’s provides more than 30 pediatric specialties along with community-based programs to uniquely care for the physical, social, and emotional needs of children. Our team of pediatric experts and care coordinators bring access to breakthrough research, advanced treatments for both rare and common diseases, and innovative health and safety programs to every child. Connecticut Children’s is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to improve access to healthcare for all children through convenient locations, care alliances and partnerships.
Saint Francis Hospital has been an anchor institution in Connecticut since 1897. Saint Francis is a member of Trinity Health Of New England and Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Saint Francis Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center, is a 617-bed hospital, a major teaching hospital, and the largest Catholic hospital in New England. Other Saint Francis entities include the Comprehensive Women’s Health Center, the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute, the Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute of Connecticut, the Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale-New Haven at Saint Francis, Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group, and Community Health and Well Being, which includes the Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity, the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry, and the Greater Hartford Family Advocacy Center. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SaintFrancisCT
With 37,000 colleagues, Hartford HealthCare’s unified culture enhances access, affordability, equity and excellence. Its care-delivery system — with more than 500 locations serving 185 towns and cities — includes two tertiary-level teaching hospitals, an acute-care community teaching hospital, an acute-care hospital and trauma center, three community hospitals, a behavioral health network, a multispecialty physician group, a clinical care organization, a regional home care system, an array of senior care services, a mobile neighborhood health program and a comprehensive physical therapy and rehabilitation network. On average, Hartford HealthCare touches more than 23,000 lives every single day. The unique, system-wide Institute Model offers a unified high standard of care in crucial specialties at hospital and ambulatory sites across Connecticut offering unparalleled expertise at the most affordable cost. The institutes include: Ayer Neuroscience, Behavioral Health, Cancer, Digestive Health, Heart and Vascular, Orthopedics and Tallwood Urology & Kidney. Visit Hartford HealthCare at www.HartfordHealthCare.org and stay connected through newsletters and social media.
CT Violence Intervention Program (CTVIP) is a group of trusted, trained community members that disrupt, prevent, and stop the spread of violence which results in trauma through crisis intervention and proactive relationships with the highest-risk youths and the institutions that impact their lives in the Greater New Haven area.