Baltimore, MD —The Maryland Department of Health recognizes June as Gun Violence Awareness Month, highlighting the impact of gun violence on public health. Governor Wes Moore has proclaimed June 5, 2026, as
National Gun Violence Awareness Day. To drive public conversation around the issue, today the Department’s
Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention joined partners to host a statewide summit focused on preventing gun violence and strengthening community safety in Maryland. In addition, throughout the month, especially the weekend of June 5th, Marylanders are encouraged to
wear orange to remember gun violence victims and honor survivors, and to further increase awareness.
“Gun violence is a public health epidemic that impacts all communities across the country,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani. “It is important to recognize our incredible progress in reducing firearm homicides here in Maryland, and re-commit ourselves to finding effective and innovative solutions. The Maryland Department of Health continues to shine a light on this critical issue and is helping build solutions to protect victims and families.”
On June 5, the Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention and its partners brought together community leaders, practitioners, and public health experts from across the state to highlight strategies, foster collaboration, and create space for dialogue among all those unified in preventing gun violence. The panels, open discussion, and speakers focused on community trust, engagement with diverse groups, suicide risk and the impact on gun violence in Maryland. To address this, the attendees discussed how the most impactful strategies, including extreme risk laws and safe storage funding, are those informed by community input.
In addition, this month the Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention recognizes one year since debuting its
Firearm Violence Data Dashboard–the only online tool of its kind in the U.S. with monthly data updates. Timely data gives partners, stakeholders, and researchers access to the most relevant information about gun violence in each Maryland county or zip code in order to make key decisions, strengthen prevention efforts and reduce firearm violence.
Since 2021, the number of all gun deaths in Maryland has dropped by 31%, due mostly in part to the significant decline in firearm homicides. Firearm-related homicides are down 51% across the state during the same time period. Maryland experienced a spike in 2021 with 878 firearm-related deaths, which has now declined to 606 in 2025. Firearm suicides have not seen the same declines. Since 2022, firearm suicides have increased by 24%, accounting for almost 53% of firearm-related deaths in 2025.
“We understand that each statistic is a real person, a real family suffering. Marylanders all deserve to live in safe communities and have access to resources that improve their health and wellbeing,” said Assistant Secretary of Population Health and Strategic Initiatives Dr. Elizabeth Kromm. “We commemorate Gun Violence Awareness Month to honor each life stolen by this preventable epidemic, and we work year-round to save the next life.”
The Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention was established in 2024 as part of the
Moore-Miller Administration’s commitment to creating a safer Maryland for all. The Center released its
Preliminary State Plan in 2025, aiming to reduce firearm violence, mitigate the harm caused by firearm incidents and address firearm misuse in the state. To achieve its goals, the Center collaborates with federal, state, and local agencies and affected communities to implement a public health approach to reduce firearm violence. Since 2024, the Center has invested over $1.7M with nonprofits and local health departments for evidence-informed prevention programming. The Center is in the process of reviewing and awarding the next year's round of grantees.
Educational materials and suicide prevention resources are available from the Department and the Center, including:
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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement.
