Gun Violence Prevention is Named a Top Priority

 Sadly, gun violence and subsequent deaths continue to plague communities across the United States, so much so that in June of this year, the U.S. Surgeon General classified firearm violence a public health crisis in America. Since 2020, firearm‑related injury has been the leading cause of death for U.S. children and adolescents (ages 1–19), surpassing motor vehicle crashes, cancer, and drug overdose and poisoning [1]. Despite the movement to change policy and deploy interventions, lax gun laws, like permit-less purchase and carry or unrestricted concealed carry, prevail in many states. For years now, leaders and community members across the United States who seek safer neighborhoods have grappled with how to address the growing rate of gun violence and death in the country with little success.

 One group of government agencies and community organizations in Fort Worth, Texas, the One Second Collaborative, has set out to lower incidents of gun violence among young people in their community through a collective impact model. One Second Collaborative, a data-driven collective of organizations overseen by the United Way of Tarrant County seeks to intervene in the split seconds in which gun violence occurs, as well as in the days and years leading up to them. With a set of programs that can address gun violence where it is happening and prevent it before it starts, One Second Collaborative delivers street outreach, education, counseling, life coaching and other supports to promote wellness and resiliency for young people – and safety for the whole community [2]. The One Second Collaborative and its partners, including the Fort Worth Police Department, the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County and countless community stakeholders, are addressing the high rates of gun violence in their community head on.