Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective
Unintentional Shootings PSA Campaign
The SAFE! Campaign was created in part with funds from the
St. Louis Violence Prevention Commission.
Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective produced a PSA campaign to support public health and safety education to reduce unintentional shootings involving children and youth in St. Louis. According to 5 On Your Side data, 140 children under the age of 17 were victims of gun violence in 2022 in the St. Louis area of Missouri and Illinois. Eighteen of them died.
Story Stitchers took the raw content collected from community, filtered it through experts in the field of public health messaging, and worked with professionals to refine the concepts and generate final videos and static photographic images conveying the messaging. The art works are ready for dissemination for public viewing using social media and other media channels including bus shelter posters and bus kings.
A Showstopping SAFE! Team Performance
at the City of St. Louis Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) KickBack Party!
As the headline act, Story Stitchers will perform their “3StepsBack” dance routine to demonstrate an easy strategy for zero contact with firearms.. The youth are advocates for staying SAFE! from shooting incidents and accidental gun deaths and star in a series of PSA’s while teaching their #3StepsBack dance to audiences and hosting beat battles.
“Gun violence is a health crisis that consumes our youth,” says Story Stitchers Youth Artistic Coordinator Branden Lewis. “Our focus on healthy expression helps youth work through their pain and loss. We develop original music and dance to share safety tips that can save lives. We encourage teens 16-25 years old to reach out to storystitchers.org and join in.”
For Children, 5-10 years old:
Hands Away! Don’t Play!
Stop! Take 3 steps back and tell an adult if you see a gun. Stay Safe!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Stop! Tell someone!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Stop! Tell someone!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
3 Steps Back
Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective
If you see a loaded gun
Don’t play around with that!
Walk away from the gun!
Take 3 steps back!
Cuz this ain’t no fun!
Walk away from the gun!
Hurry! Stop! Get away!
Hurry! Tell someone!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Stop! Tell someone!
For Teens 10-14 years old:
- Trust Yourself
- Trust Your Instincts
- Don’t touch it, get away, don’t follow peers blindly, get help, tell an adult, have strategies ready to leave your group if needed
SAFE! SQUAD
Zack, Bryson, Jelani, Braelon cruise the street
If you see a gun
Get away! Stop! Point ‘em out.
It could be a play gun,
Don’t stay and find out!
Get away from it!
Run from it!
Tell somebody ASAP!
Get somewhere you safe at!
Stay Safe! Stay Away!
Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective
If you see a gun
Get away! Stop point ‘em out.
Chorus
Oh! Point ‘em out!
Oh Point em out!
It could be a play gun,
Don’t stay and find out!
Chorus
No! Don’t stay!
Don’t stay and find out!
Get away from it!
Run from it!
Tell somebody ASAP!
Chorus
ASAP! ASAP!
Get somewhere you safe at!
Repeat:
Stay Safe, Stay Away
True! Spoken like a boss!
It’s better to be safe than be off.
When you don’t lock it down—
What’s the cost?
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Stop! Tell someone!
For Families:
Guns are adult’s responsibility, never a child’s responsibility. Keep all firearms unloaded, locked, and stored separately from ammunition. Teach your children to stop and take 3 steps back and to tell an adult if they see a gun. Be sure kids know they will not be in trouble for telling.
3 Steps Back
Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective
If you see a loaded gun
Don’t play around with that!
Walk away from the gun!
Take 3 steps back!
Cuz this ain’t no fun!
Walk away from the gun!
Hurry! Stop! Get away!
Hurry! Tell someone!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Stop! Tell someone!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Walk away from the gun!
Put a lock on the gun!
Stay Safe St. Louis. Our children are worthy.
Unload, lock and secure.
Put a lock on the gun!
Toy
By Rachel
She was only five
She dreamt of soaring the skies
Her eyes
Always filled up with joy
Until she stumbled upon the toy
Which was left by her eldest brother
Her mother
Always told him to keep it out the house
No dad around so he gotta to leave a mark
Mother, brother,
They fought and they fought
No longer paying attention to this little girl
Who stumbled upon this toy that change their world
Well you’re never too young
to learn about guns
Put your hands away
So we can save the day!
Ooowee!
Where’d they come from?
Let that stay!
You better tell someone
To put that thing in a safe!
Cuz the trigger don’t take
Much weight to pull
So get S-A-F-E!
Tank on full!
Keep ridin’ and rollin’
Pay attention
Eyes and ears open
True! Spoken like a boss!
It’s better to be safe then be off.
When you don’t lock it down—
What’s the cost?
what will your child do when they see a gun?
Unload, lock, and secure.
SAFE! Campaign Compilation
Copyright Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective, 2022. All rights reserved.
Licensed to St. Louis Violence Prevention Commission, 2022.
Officer Harris appears with permission of the Chief of St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Work in this campaign is available for educational use with permission only. Use request must align with the mission and principles of Saint Louis Story Stitchers.
Please send an email to storystitchers@gmail.com to inquire.
Additional Resources
“Every year, nearly 350 children unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else when they find unlocked, loaded guns. It is always the adults responsibility keeping all firearms locked, unloaded, and stored separately from ammunition.” — Everytown for Gun Safety’s Be SMART Program
St. Louis Violence Prevention Commmission
City of St. Louis Violence Prevention Initiatives
City of St. Louis Office of Violence Prevention
