Cook Children’s Health Care System (CCHCS) experts, the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) and area non-profit Violence Intervention and Prevention Fort Worth (VIPFW) hosted a collaborative community forum focused on firearm-related injury prevention. Led by Antione J. Williams, East Division Commander for FWPD, the panel established a shared mission to treat gun violence not as a political leverage point, but as a preventable public health crisis affecting the city’s youth.
In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General recognized firearm violence as a critical public health crisis in the United States. Nationwide, firearms have risen to become the number one cause of mortality among children. Data from the CCHSC revealed that between 2024 and 2026, the hospital encountered 121 unintentional firearm injuries, alongside five pediatric fatalities stemming directly from firearm trauma.
The forum focused on community-driven solutions. A recurring consensus emerged among the panelists: sustainable intervention requires bringing the youth into the conversation, acknowledging and resolving the compounding personal traumas they carry before those crises escalate into violence.
Panelist Rodney McIntosh, Pastor and Director of the non-profit organization Violence Intervention and Prevention Fort Worth (VIPFW), urged community members to actively integrate young people into the safety dialogue, equipping them with foundational tools in social-emotional learning and actionable conflict de-escalation tactics.
Daniel Guzman, M.D., an emergency room physician and program director for Cook Children’s Aim for Safety program, brought a frontline medical perspective, illustrating the realities of firearm accidents in the home and emphasizing that responsible storage and education can reduce injury.
The evening closed with a powerful challenge to the audience:
“We challenge you to do something,” said Eric Gonzalez, Program Manager for Injury Prevention at the Center for Community Health at Cook Children’s Health Care System. “Ask your community, schools, family: why wait to have a conversation when we can do this right now?”
Fort Worth leaders urge parents, educators, and neighbors to initiate open, judgment-free discussions about firearm safety within their homes and community. Keep guns secured. Protect your children. Lock up all firearms.
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