Last week a ten- year- old boy shot and killed his mother after fighting about chores. Also last week, locally, a four- year- old boy accidentally shot his mother in the side while his two- year- old sister sat nearby watching Elmo. Sadly, these aren’t isolated incidents. The biggest question is not why, it’s how. How did these children gain access to these guns in the first place? Ironically, the ten year old’s mother had given the boy the .22 caliber rifle as a Christmas gift. The four year old knew exactly where the 12-guage semi-automatic shotgun was kept, retrieved it from the closet, and loaded a shell into it that his father had let him handle earlier, yet forgot to put away.
The majority of fatal accidents involving firearms occur at home. There are about 60 million handguns in the U.S. with an average of two to three million being sold each year. Approximately 1.7 million children live in homes with guns which are loaded and unlocked, and every day eight children are fatally shot.
In homes that have handguns, it’s more likely that a gun will be used to shoot a family member or friend rather than in self defense. These shootings typically take place when:
- A child finds a gun at home and is showing a friend when the trigger is pulled accidentally.
- A depressed teen or adult becomes suicidal.
- An argument between family members escalates out of control.
- A friend or family member is mistaken for an intruder.
As mentioned above, it’s not just about accidents; it’s also violent crime and suicide. Nearly 1,500 children a year commit suicide by gun. An adolescent is twice as likely to take their own life if they have access to a firearm inside the home. About 7,000 violent crimes are committed each year by children using guns from home. The killers aren’t only teens, either. Ten years ago, a six year old boy from Michigan took a gun to school and killed a fellow classmate. Children as young as three years old may have the strength to pull the trigger of a gun.
This blog isn’t about your Second Amendment right, and the gun control debate isn’t likely to be resolved any time soon, however, gun owner or not, there are steps you can take to try to better ensure America’s children’s safety where guns are involved.
If you have children, start talking to them about gun safety at a young age.
- Tell them guns are off limits —make sure they know to never touch a gun at home, and if they go somewhere in which they encounter a gun, to leave the area immediately and inform an adult.
- Explain the difference between television/video games and real life and how guns in real life can do real harm to someone. Some of the TV and video game shootings don’t look real and this could confuse a child.
- Teach them how to deal with disputes in a rational manner, rather than using violence.
You should find out if your child’s friends have guns in their home and ask how they are stored. Then you’re informed and it’s up to your discretion whether or not you let your child play there.
If you own a gun:
- Keep guns stored safely. Even if you’ve talked to your child about gun safety, sometimes their curiosity will still get the better of them. Store your ammunition and firearms in separate, locked locations, and hide the key. Don’t tell your children where the guns are kept. Also, storing firearms in a glass case is not the best option as the glass can be broken and the guns removed.
- Use a gun lock so that the trigger cannot be pulled without a key.
- When handling or cleaning a gun, never leave it unattended.
- Be a role model. Don’t use your gun in a way you wouldn’t want your child to imitate. Perhaps even become active in your community or your child’s school by helping promote gun safety.
Many gun owners feel they don’t have to lock up their weapons if they don’t have children. Eventually, however, a child will more than likely visit, whether a relative or friend’s child. Plus, hundreds of thousands of guns are stolen from homes every year.
So, keep in mind the shooting accidents and gun violence that take place every day. If you own a gun, play it safe and keep it locked. The life you may be saving could be your child’s or your own.
Your friends at MBC.
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