San Francisco mom vows to protect kids from gun violence after son killed by father in murder-suicide
On January 13, 2021, 9-year-old Pierce was killed tragically by his father in a murder-suicide as he was sleeping inside of his San Francisco apartment. After his death, Pierce's mom, Lesley Hu, has made it her mission to protect children from gun violence, through her organization Pierce's Pledge.
KTVU.com Posted September 9, 2025 10:33am PDT
San Francisco police launch free firearm storage program to prevent family tragedies
Monday, September 8, 2025 11:05PM
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Safe firearm storage just got more accessible in San Francisco.
Mayor Daniel Lurie and Supervisor Stephen Sherrill on Thursday announced a first-of-its-kind program that allows residents to drop off their guns at any of the city's 10 police stations, where San Francisco police will securely store them for up to a year at no cost.
The initiative is a partnership with Pierce's Pledge, a nonprofit founded by mother Lesley Hu, whose 9-year-old son Pierce was murdered by his father during a custody battle in 2021. After killing Pierce, Hu's ex-husband died by suicide in their Marina apartment.
"This is a campaign about keeping your home safe, knowing what's happening in your home and taking the firearm away if you're in these critical moments," Hu told ABC7 News. "Not having the gun in that moment seems to be the only thing that could have prevented, or even given Pierce a chance to have lived."
Hu says she never imagined a life in advocacy. Now, she spends her days working to raise awareness about safe gun storage through Pierce's Pledge.
"I am building Pierce's legacy. He was supposed to be my legacy so now I am his," she said.
Her nonprofit has created a nationwide map of safe firearm storage sites, many of which are gun stores. In San Francisco - where there are no gun shops - Hu says this program fills a crucial gap.
How the program works
San Franciscans can voluntarily bring firearms to any police station. It's recommended to call ahead before drop-off, and from there participants will receive step-by-step instructions.
Officers will package and transfer the gun to a centralized facility. Owners will get a receipt to reclaim the firearm within one year.
"We'd ask that you not carry the firearm into the station, if at all possible. If you can, please make sure it's unloaded and locked in a secure container. Or if you drive, leave it in your vehicle. We know what to do from there," said Nicole Jones, SFPD deputy chief.
Currently, judges can order a firearm to be removed from a home if they believe someone poses a threat. This new program allows people to bypass the courts and remove a gun from their house voluntarily and free of charge. Leaders said it's designed for families involved in volatile situations like custody disputes, divorce, or even if a family member is having suicidal thoughts.
"This gives families a safe and a practical option when circumstances change, and it is no longer safe to keep a gun at home," Sherrill said at a Monday press conference.
Lurie said it's a "simple idea with a powerful goal."
"Every week, a child is killed by a parent or stepparent during divorce or custody disputes. Every week," Lurie said. "That reality is unacceptable, especially when we can work to prevent it."
Hu said she still feels Pierce's presence every single day nearly five years after his death. Now, she hopes to turn her grief into power by educating others about the need for safe firearm storage.
"It can happen to anybody, and there's no second chances either. You don't get to go back and say, 'oh, I'll be more prepared next time.' No, you have to be prepared this time. Now is the time to get prepared," she said. "I'm not going to stop until this moment of custody is safe for kids."
Mayor’s Press Conference
City & County of San Francisco
Mayor Daniel Lurie today launched the new SFPD Pierce’s Pledge Gun Safety Storage Program in partnership with District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill and gun violence prevention leaders. Through a new partnership with Pierce’s Pledge, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) will offer San Franciscans a safe way to remove firearms from their homes by surrendering them at any of the city’s 10 district police stations, where firearms can be securely stored for up to one year at no cost.
Pierce’s Pledge Hosts Second Annual Benefit Dog Show
By: Drew Altizer
May 26, 2025
On May 16 at Civic Center Plaza, the community once again gathered for a heartwarming and hope-filled event, the 2nd Annual Pawz for Pierce’s Playaz: A Community Dog Competition to Help End Gun Violence. Each year the event takes place in commemoration of Pierce Hu, a young boy whose life was tragically cut short. Pierce’s classmates, together with youth from 17 schools across the Bay Area, and the kids of United Playaz came together to lead an event to raise awareness and work for change.
Pierce’s Pledge, founded by Pierce’s mother Lesley Hu, is a child safety non-profit organization that empowers family law attorneys and court staff to protect minors during custody negotiations. Supporters of this critical mission came out in force this year to cheer on the four-legged contestants, uplift our young leaders and join a growing movement for peace and prevention.
https://www.hautelivingsf.com/2025/05/26/pierces-pledge-hosts-second-annual-benefit-dog-show/
Wyland’s Law aims to protect children from gun violence: Bill inspired by local boy’s murder
Alexis Espinoza aespinoza@hanfordsentinel.com
April 15, 2025
Catherine Stefani, a California State Assembly member, introduced AB1363 on Tuesday morning. The bill, also known as Wyland's Law, aims to prevent gun violence by ensuring restraining orders are properly transmitted to the Department of Justice.
The law is named after 10-year-old Wyland Gomes, a Kings County boy who was killed by his father despite a restraining order in 2020. Christy Camara Gomes, Wyland's mother, and Lesley Hu, whose son, Pierce, was also killed in a custody dispute, spoke alongside the Assemblywoman about the need for the law to prevent future tragedies.
During a press conference on Tuesday morning on the Polk Street steps in front of San Francisco’s City Hall, Stefani, Gomes, and Hu spoke emotionally about the need for the bill.
“The most horrific experience a parent can endure is the loss of a child, and what makes that grief even more devastating is when that loss could have been prevented,” said Stefani. “That's what brings us all here today. We're here because a young boy's life was stolen, not just by one individual's actions, but by a system that failed to do its job.”
Stefani said a court order of protection was failed to be carried out by the Kings County court system to the Department of Justice in early 2020 to protect Wyland Gomes, and because of this, the 10-year-old boy died at the hands of his father who was able to buy a gun and shoot his son and then himself.
“Wyland’s Law, named in his memory, is our effort to ensure that no other family suffers this kind of unimaginable loss. It is unthinkable that someone subject to a restraining order could still gain access to a firearm because of a bureaucratic failure,” said Stefani. “Let me be absolutely clear, our laws are only as strong as our systems that enforce them.”
Wyland’s mother approached the microphone to speak about the importance of AB1363 and how it could have protected her son and given her the answers she needed after he was murdered.
“On March 2, 2020, my world shattered. I lost my precious 10-year-old boy in a tragedy no parent should ever have to face, that changed me forever. From that pain, a mission was born, a promise to Wyland and to myself, I would do everything I could to protect other families from going through what we did,” said Camara Gomes. ”For more than three years now, I've been on a painful, determined journey. I fought to expose the cracks in our system, cracks that allowed my estranged husband to buy a gun he never should have. Even though I was grieving and faced legal roadblocks at every turn, I refused to let Wyland’s story be forgotten. Wyland was funny, smart and polite. He had a quiet, kind soul, and he lit up the room every time he walked in. I can still hear his laugh in my mind. I'd give anything to hear it one more time.”
Hu, who lost her 9-year-old son to gun violence during a custody dispute in 2021, echoed Gomes’ sentiments. Hu also made it her mission to raise awareness about the flaws in the system after her son’s death.
“It is important to understand that what happened to Pierce and what happened to Wyland, happens every six days in America. A child is killed for a custody dispute by a parent every six days in America,” said Hu. “It is the leading cause of death of children in the US — 80% of these children die in their home. So it's important that we start to educate ourselves and to learn how we're going to keep our kids safe.”
AB1363 was proposed to hold courts accountable and provide transparency in the system. The bill will be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee on April 22.
Alexis Espinoza is the City Reporter for the Hanford Sentinel.
Contact her with news tips and story ideas at aespinoza@hanfordsentinel.com.
Pawz For Pierce’s Playaz 2024!
Take a peek at how kids planned this event and how they were able to destroyed over 100+ guns!
CBS News Bay Area - December 12, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLC1Dd2cF3o
Advocating for child safety at the IEFV Domestic Violence, Child Custody & Firearm Fatality Prevention seminar on December, 13th 2023 at UC Irvine
To Read More About Pierce’s Story
Sins of The Father
By Eric Pape
The Atavist Magazine, No. 137
A small, good-natured boy named Pierce O’Loughlin was growing up between the homes of his divorced parents in San Francisco. Nine-year-old Pierce was accustomed to custody handoffs taking place at Convent and Stuart Hall, the Catholic school he attended. On changeover days, one parent dropped him off in the morning at the hilltop campus overlooking the bay, and the other picked him up in the afternoon. The parents avoided seeing each other. Their split had been ugly.
On the afternoon of January 13, 2021, Lesley Hu, Pierce’s mother, arrived at Convent and Stuart Hall for a scheduled pickup. Hu planned to take Pierce to a Coinstar machine to exchange a small bucket of coins for a gift card he could use to buy toys. Then they would go to dinner at a restaurant called House of Prime Rib, because Pierce loved to eat meat.
But Hu’s son wasn’t waiting for her at the school. Staff told her that he had been absent that day. They didn’t know why.
……
For the full article, please visit: https://magazine.atavist.com/sins-of-the-father-san-francisco-vaccines-murder-suicide/
PIERCE’S PLEDGE Town Hall with SFPD
Zoom event hosted by Pierce's Pledge. Titled "Empower Safe Conversations: Navigating Gun Safety Together," this event addressed concerns many parents share regarding guns and our children's safety.
This event was designed to equip parents with essential tools for discussing responsible gun ownership, safe storage practices, and fostering open conversations about firearm safety with our children and the other families’ homes they may play in.
