Governor Newsom honors National Gun Violence Awareness Day, highlights nation-leading gun safety laws

California's commonsense gun safety laws continue to make communities safer, prevent violence, and serve as a model for other states

What you need to know: California has the strongest gun safety laws in the nation and one of the lowest firearm death rates. On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Governor Newsom highlighted the state's leadership in preventing gun violence and protecting communities.

SACRAMENTO - As communities across California recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom today reaffirmed California's commitment to preventing gun violence and honoring the lives lost to it.

California continues to lead the nation in gun safety. The state is ranked #1 for gun law strength by both Giffords Law Center and Everytown for Gun Safety and consistently maintains one of the nation's lowest firearm death rates.

Gun violence is preventable, and California has proven that strong gun safety laws save lives. While some states continue to weaken protections, California has built the nation's strongest framework to keep communities safe - from universal background checks and red flag laws to stronger accountability for gun traffickers and irresponsible dealers. We honor the lives lost to gun violence and continue committing ourselves to doing everything we can to prevent the next tragedy.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Every child deserves a safe space to learn and play. Every parent deserves peace of mind when dropping their children off at school. Every woman deserves to feel safe in her home and relationships. California continues to work towards a world where gun violence no longer ravages our communities. This Wear Orange Weekend, we recognize the progress made on commonsense measures and acknowledge the work ahead to end gun violence once and for all.

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom

California's public-health approach to gun violence prevention continues to deliver results.

By the numbers

• #1 state in the nation for gun law strength and effectiveness
• 1,727 individuals were subject to Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs) in 2024 after courts found they posed a significant risk of firearm violence
• 58 threatened mass shootings prevented through California's protection order system during its first three years
• Nearly 140,000 lives could have been saved nationwide over the past decade if every state matched California's gun death rate
• California's youth firearm homicide rate is approximately 50% lower than the national average
• More than 50% of crime guns recovered and traced in California originated from out-of-state dealers

California was the first state in the nation to enact a Gun Violence Restraining Order law, commonly known as a "red flag" law. Today, Californians can access nine different protection orders that help temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others.

Reduce the Risk Campaign marks one-year anniversary

In honor of Gun Violence Awareness Day last year, Governor Newsom launched Reduce the Risk, a statewide public awareness campaign led by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to increase awareness of California's nine protection orders and help prevent violence before it occurs.

This month, California expanded that effort through a partnership with the Ad Council and Brady's Pause to Heal campaign, connecting more Californians with trusted information and resources.

Over the past year, Reduce the Risk has:

• Delivered nearly 100 trainings statewide.
• Reached more than 1,000 participants.
• Expanded engagement across nearly 40 counties.
• Connected Californians with information about the state's nine violence-prevention protection orders.

"Every Californian deserves access to information that can help prevent violence and keep families safe," said Cal OES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs. "Through partnerships across the state, we are helping communities better understand the tools available to intervene during times of crisis and connect people with resources that can save lives."

The state also launched a new Local Resource Connector, an interactive tool that helps Californians find local courts, support services, and community organizations that can assist with filing protection orders and accessing violence prevention resources.

The Reduce the Risk campaign is informed by the Champions Advisory Council, composed of experts in law enforcement, legal practice, and health care, as well as the Youth Advisory Council, a group of young leaders on the frontlines of gun violence prevention. These youth advisors are helping shape campaign activities to better reach and engage younger Californians, who will be critical to sustaining progress in the future.

"Gun violence is a serious public health crisis, and a majority of California's youth have grown up under its shadow," said Reduce the Risk Youth Advisory Council Member Caroline Zdanowski. "California continues to lead the nation in effective gun violence prevention, and we, as the next generation, have a responsibility to make our voices heard and be part of the solution."

A broader commitment to prevention

California's leadership on gun safety extends beyond GVROs. The state continues to make historic investments in community safety and violence prevention - including more than $100 million recently awarded to communities across California to expand violence interruption programs, support at-risk individuals, and strengthen local public safety efforts.

California's gun safety approach prioritizes regulating who can access firearms rather than imposing a blanket ban on lawful gun ownership, including universal background checks, red flag laws to temporarily remove guns from people in crisis, and prohibitions for violent offenders and domestic abusers.

Combined with the nation's strongest gun safety laws, these investments have helped California maintain one of the lowest firearm mortality rates in the country.

Learn more about California's nation-leading gun safety laws at the 2026 fact sheet and available resources at gunsafety.ca.gov.