Orange County group honors Wintemute for violence prevention

Garen Wintemute, a professor of emergency medicine and director of the Violence Prevention Research Program, recently was named an Ambassador of Peace by the Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County.

The coalition bestows the awards to honor leaders in the field of violence prevention for their outstanding contributions and for their commitment to preventing and reducing violence in our communities. Wintemute was recognized in the Public Service category, for his research and advocacy on firearm violence and its prevention.

Also recently, 13 members of the state Legislature gave Wintemute a resolution of commendation, which states, “Dr. Wintemute has accomplished critical landmark firearms research that is nationally recognized, and his work, research and leadership have helped California pass significant firearm legislation to help prevent violent crime.”

Wintemute is renowned for his research on gun violence and its link to public health. He has published numerous scientific articles on this topic, testified before Congress and other government agencies, and spoken extensively with the media. In 1997, Time magazine named him one of 15 international heroes of medicine. He has conducted groundbreaking research – and generated hard scientific data – on the nature of gun violence.