PHOENIX — The U.S. Survey General this week declared gun violence a public health crisis, citing the rising number of deaths from firearm injuries, a finding reflected in Arizona data.

A report from the US state of Arizona found that gunshot wounds are the leading cause of death among adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 and that all injuries are considered “preventable.”

For some supporters, the statement didn't come quickly enough. Parents Bruce and Claire Petillo lost their son Christian in 2021. The 15-year-old was at a pajama party when, according to the Petillos, the boys found a gun and Christian was shot in the chest.

“You constantly feel like you’re in a nightmare,” said Bruce Petillo.

Prevention specialist Jordona Montano said she noticed that the warning also points to an increased suicide rate, especially among young people.

“We can’t have this conversation about gun violence without talking about mental health,” Montano said.

Another Valley activist, Nesha Higgins, is trying to create a space to combat gun violence among youth, addressing both mental health issues and gun violence through her organization, Melabiz Community Hub.

“I've done the worst: lost 20, 30 children to gun violence. But what do you expect from them?” Higgins said. “They have no help. That's the only thing they know, and it's passed on.”

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The Petillos have been trying for two years to get a safe storage law, known as Christian's Law, passed in Arizona.

“This shouldn't be as controversial as it is,” said Bruce Petillo. “All the data shows that safe storage saves lives and that it is done responsibly and transparently.”

The Petillos hope for change, but are cautious. They fear what will happen if nothing changes even after the declaration.

“People are going to die. Children are going to die. We've seen countless incidents in schools and elementary schools where children come to school with guns in their backpacks,” Claire Petillo said. “There have been countless other shootings by children or by children getting guns and shooting each other, shooting others or shooting themselves.”

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