WISCONSIN — Friday marked National Gun Violence Prevention Day. People behind the effort to get the word out about ways to reduce gun violence nationwide and in Wisconsin aimed to extend the effort through the weekend and beyond. 

"It's not just the hole that the bullet causes that creates longstanding issues, but the mental health and emotional trauma can take many, many years to overcome," said Dr. Michael Levas, who serves on the emergency department and trauma center team at Children’s Wisconsin while also working as an associate professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "What we try to do at Children's — first we save lives and we're very good at that —  but we're also trying to focus on the holistic healing of the individual and their families."

Levas, who also serves as medical director for Project Ujima, said gun violence — and even the threat of gun violence — has a big impact on countless Wisconsinites.

"What we hear from the families we work with is that they know there are risks," said Levas. "They know there are chances of being a victim of firearm violence, and what we try to work with them on with the youth is conflict avoidance."

Watch the full interview above.