UCI Health raises awareness of increasing rate of gun violence injuries and deaths

Annual Gun Violence Awareness Day event honors survivors, builds community with organizations committed to change

Orange, Calif. — UCI Health co-workers, Orange County elected officials and community organizations came together on June 5 in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day to raise awareness about the growing number of gun violence-related injuries and deaths.

Clad in orange, attendees gathered in front of UCI Douglas Hospital at UCI Health — Orange, home to region’s only level I adult and level II pediatric trauma center and a leading provider of critical care services. The vibrant color is worn by hunters to protect themselves and has become a symbol to honor the lives lost to gun violence.

According to the American Public Health Association, gun violence affects people of all ages and races in the U.S. It disproportionally impacts young adults, males and racial/ethnic minorities. Firearm-related injuries in 2023 led to 46,728 total fatalities, with suicides contributing to more than half of those deaths.

“In this year alone, more than 5,000 people across the country will have died from gun violence. Almost 100 of them are children,” said Dr. Theresa Chin, a UCI Health emergency, burn, trauma and critical care surgeon. “We at UCI Health work closely with community partners to help alter the cycle of gun violence, address patients where they are at and prevent further injuries.”

UCI Health — Orange treated 99 firearm-related injuries in 2025, indicating the importance of local organizations working together to help reduce gun violence in communities across Orange County.

Dr. Almaas Shaikh, Orange County Health Care Agency deputy health officer and interim Emergency Medical Services director, spoke about how gun violence has become a public health emergency. She is also a trauma surgeon and a surgical critical care physician.

“I have watched teams of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, blood bank staff and first responders work with extraordinary skill and urgency to save lives. Many times we win, many times we don’t,” said Shaikh.

She touched on how, as a physician, she has witnessed many families realize that while their loved one has survived, their life has now changed forever. Such events highlight a need to raise awareness of the impact that gun violence has on communities.

Attendees were encouraged to consider attending a Stop the Bleed training at the event, which was created by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. The courses teach attendees how to limit blood loss at the scene of a trauma, which helps buy time for a victim so they can get to a hospital and ultimately survive.

UCI Health — Orange cares for injuries and conditions of all types 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.