LEONARDTOWN, Md. — The St. Mary’s County Health Department has announced that it will host Community Violence Prevention Day on June 28, 2025, at Nicolet Park from noon to 4 p.m. The event is free to attend and welcomes all community members. It is co-hosted by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
In a press release announcing the event to the public, the health department wrote that “Community Violence Prevention Day is family-friendly and will offer a variety of activities, including games, face painting, food trucks, music, a free pop-up grocery market, and more. Gunlocks and gun safes will also be available while supplies last. Collaboration is encouraged; several local organizations and community leaders will attend to provide youth and families with resources and activities that inspire growth and leadership while promoting resilience within the community.”
Community Violence Prevention Day 2025 focuses on gun violence, although the term “community violence” is a general term used to discuss any kind of violence that occurs between two unrelated people, mostly in public spaces, according to the CDC. Community violence is the second leading cause of death for children and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24, and the third leading cause of death for individuals between 25 and 34. Over 700,000 young people were treated in emergency rooms across the country for nonlethal injuries related to violence.
According to the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, St. Mary’s County has one of the lowest rates of violent crime in the state as of 2023. However, gun violence is still a serious issue in the county. In 2024, 16 individuals were shot in contact shootings (shootings in which an individual is physically but nonfatally hit by a bullet), and three individuals lost their lives.
Discussing the issue of community violence, Michelle Pottinger, the director of the St. Mary’s County Health Department’s Violence, Injury and Trauma Unit, said that “Community Violence Prevention Day is designed to help create a safer, healthier, and more vibrant community for everyone… This event will be a great opportunity to strengthen connections between families, neighborhoods, and local organizations who are working to empower youth by addressing the root causes of violence.”
For more information on the SMCHD Violence, Injury and Trauma Unit, please visit smchd.org/health-topics/violence-injury-and-trauma.
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