By Abigail Brown
On the morning of Sept. 6, 2018, the Fifth Third Bank headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio became the scene of tragedy when a gunman opened fire in the lobby, leaving three dead and two injured. Among those injured was U of L alum Whitney Austin, an employee who survived by pretending to be dead after being shot 12 times.
Following the attack, Austin said she knew instantly she needed to turn her experience into advocacy. “My main priority was to live,” she said. “But I remember thinking that if I survived, I would do anything I could to prevent this from happening to others.”
It was this desire to act that led Austin to establish Whitney/Strong, a foundation with the mission of finding common ground to end gun violence through data-driven and responsible gun ownership solutions that included education on how to make communities safer.
Origin story
At its beginning, Whitney/Strong consisted only of Austin and her husband Waller. They tackled Austin’s recovery and learned all they could about establishing a nonprofit.
Austin found it was healing to turn something traumatic like surviving a mass shooting into an organization that focuses on prevention. “I received a gift that no one receives, and it feels right to spend these bonus years trying to solve the problem or at least lessen it,” she said.
When reflecting on these early days, Austin said she didn’t know where they would be now. But within her short-term vision, she knew she wanted to address what existing organizations didn’t. “I felt very strongly that existing organizations were focused on partisan politics.” Austin explained.
The ‘why’
Whitney/Strong became a nonpartisan organization, one that takes a holistic approach to gun violence. “Laws are a part of the equation, but so is education, gun lock distribution, survivor support and so much more,” Austin said. “There is no one way to reduce gun violence.” Through their approach, Whitney/Strong desires to find common ground on gun safety.
Working alongside Austin is Jake Richardson, program manager for the “Salt River Region” that comprises multiple counties around Louisville. His job involves engagement with community towards creating common-ground solutions for gun violence at no cost.
Richardson’s passion for the cause stems from his youth. “I was a seventeen-year-old kid who believed that he was worth more dead than he was alive,” he said. “I had no hope, no idea of what a future would look like, and even less of an idea how to get to it.” He has since worked to guide others to the hope he was missing for so long through their suicide prevention efforts.
Richardson further emphasized Whitney/Strong’s common-ground approach by highlighting its diverse potential. “Gun violence is non-partisan. Suicide prevention is non-partisan. Safe communities are non-partisan,” Richardson said.
He explained that those involved in Whitney/Strong don’t all look the same. “We have board members that own firearms, and some that don’t. We have Democrats and Republicans both in our ranks. We exist to unite, not to divide.”
In addition to overseeing his region, Richardson is part of the “Save A Life” program at Whitney/Strong led by program director Megan Cole.
Cole’s passion also comes from a personal place, having lost her aunt Linda to suicide in 2014.
“The first day I came back to class after her death, the topic was suicide. I learned about risk factors and warning signs. I realized that my aunt had so many warning signs, but we just didn’t know what they were.” Cole said.
“Even though it was just 12 years ago, the culture was very different,” she continued. “People didn’t talk about suicide and mental health in the way we do now. So, as I was sitting there, I vowed to tell as many people as I could about the warning signs of suicide.”
Cole went on to volunteer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as the Kentucky Area Director. “Around the time I became staff at AFSP, I met Whitney and began to help in her work in preventing gun death and injury through both legislation and education,” she said. “I feel I was always being led to this role with my desire to make sure no other families lost their Linda.”
The work
Distribution of gun locks and safety kits is a crucial part of the Whitney/Strong mission. “Safe and responsible gun ownership is key. This means storing firearms locked and separate from ammunition.” Cole explained. “If just 20% more gun owners with children securely stored their firearms, one-third of youth firearm suicides and accidental deaths could be prevented.
The Save A Life program at Whitney/Strong provides important training that equips participants with knowledge and tools to create safer and smarter communities. “People can walk into our trainings with no knowledge on how to prevent suicide or safely handle a firearm, learn something from us and then take that knowledge and immediately put it to use out in their lives,” Richardson said.
Whitney/Strong also established gun lock pick-up sites across their markets, granting access to the lifesaving tool with no questions asked. “We’ve distributed nearly 18,000 gun locks throughout Kentucky and Ohio thus far,” said Cole. “We believe small actions can make a big difference, and that everyone has the power to save a life.”
For more information on Whitney/Strong, their programs and getting involved, visit whitneystrong.org.
Photo Courtesy / Whitney Austin
