Pittsburgh groups come together to kick off Wear Orange Weekend

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Local groups came together Friday to kick off Wear Orange Weekend. 

June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month, and Pittsburghers took a stand against gun violence on Friday. 

“Where is the outrage?” New Light Congregation Rabbi Jonathan Perlman said.

Perlman is a survivor of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018 when a man killed 11 worshippers from the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light congregations. 

“It’s taken a toll on all of us,” he said.

Surrounded by communities across the greater Pittsburgh region and others impacted by gun violence, Perlman made his voice heard at Allegheny Commons North Park just one day after testifying in federal court.

“Children are being murdered each and every day in our community,” he said.

The issue goes beyond mass shootings. It’s happening on our streets every single day, especially with our children.

“We have to save every life that we can here in Pennsylvania,” Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said.

Both Davis and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey affirmed their support.  

“We will fight every single day to protect our kids,” Gainey said.

“This is a cancer on our society,” said Carolyn Ban of Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence. “We need to remember that these were individuals, not just statistics.”

Lawmakers and communities working together, that’s what they say will make a difference.

“We need action, and we need to figure out a way that we could come to an agreement about the dangers of gun violence,” Perlman said.