Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of gun violence and suicide.
Gun violence survivors, advocates and local officials gathered Saturday to honor victims and begin a month of awareness events aimed at addressing the ongoing impact of shootings in Alachua County.
The event was held beside the memorial garden at Squirrel Ridge Park, which honors victims and survivors of crime in Alachua County.
Among those in attendance were representatives from Peaceful Paths, a domestic violence center; the Alachua County Crisis Center; IMPACT GNV, the city’s gun violence prevention program; and the Gainesville City Commission.
In his 2024 State of the City address, Mayor Harvey Ward said the city had allocated more than $53 million toward gun violence prevention programs. By August 2025, the Gainesville Police Department reported a decline in gun violence.
Saturday’s gathering gave survivors the opportunity to share personal testimonies that traced the lasting impact of gun violence across their lives and families.
Amanda Goldsmith, who has been a gun violence prevention advocate for roughly three years, was one of the event’s speakers.
Goldsmith was first exposed to gun violence at age 4 when her mother shot an abusive partner in self-defense.
By 17, Goldsmith found herself on the other end of a gun when a man she’d rejected followed her home and opened fire. She flatlined in the emergency room, where she lost a kidney and half of her intestines. She had to relearn how to walk.
Now a 43-year-old mother of three, Goldsmith shared her story with roughly 30 attendees at the Survivors of Gun Violence Memorial.
The memorial comes just days after the death of Brooke Smith, a 24-year-old UF nursing senior who was shot and killed Tuesday night.
“One of the things that I feel is my path as a survivor is to speak up for those who don’t make it,” Goldsmith said after her speech. “Their voices can no longer be heard, but we can tell their stories.”
Brittany Coleman, a 36-year-old gun violence prevention program manager with IMPACT GNV, said hosting a memorial was the right thing to do.
IMPACT GNV began in 2024. It’s the city’s third attempt at launching a gun violence prevention program.
“Gun violence doesn’t just impact the victim,” Coleman said. “It impacts their families, their neighborhoods, communities and our entire city.”
The impact of gun violence is also experienced by local crisis responders.
Sarah Slimak, a clinical community specialist with the county’s crisis center, said she never intended to work in the field.
The center supports people experiencing mental health crises, Slimak said, including those affected by gun violence and suicide, while also connecting individuals with resources for prevention and recovery.
“I saw the impact of what it could mean for someone to not be alone on one of their worst days,” she said, “and that has me sticking around. It feels like an honor to be able to provide that support.”
Suicide makes up the majority of gun-related deaths in the United States.
The Alachua County Crisis Center provides a 24/7 crisis line at 352-264-6789, as well as free therapy and counseling services for those impacted by gun violence and other issues.
Contact Julianna Bendeck at jbendeck@alligator.org.
Julianna Bendeck is a first-year journalism student and the Summer 2026 criminal justice reporter. She previously worked as a contributing writer and race and equity reporter at The Alligator. Outside the newsroom, she enjoys reading, surfing the web and playing video games.
