City Hall to light clock tower orange to honor survivors of gun violence

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Government will recognize Gun Violence Awareness Day this weekend.

City Hall's historic clock tower will be lit orange from June 3-5 to honor survivors of gun violence.

It's also "Wear Orange Weekend." Wear Orange is a national organization that uses the first weekend of June to raise awareness about preventing gun violence as well as honor survivors.

There have been 164 criminal shootings and 69 criminal homicides reported in Louisville this year, city officials said in a news release on Wednesday, citing recent data from the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Last month during a Metro Council meeting, President David James, D-6, honored Moms Demand Action with a proclamation for their work advocating for the "reduction and elimination of gun violence."

According to the Wear Orange organization, more than 40,000 people are killed by guns and about 85,000 people are shot and wounded each year.

The organization said orange has become the color for their movement because it's worn by hunters to protect themselves and others when in the woods.