As the school year begins, I’m writing to share a quick reminder with parents about the importance of secure gun storage.
Every year, nearly 360 children under age 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else, like a sibling, parent or friend. That’s roughly one unintentional shooting a day. Research also shows that roughly 76% of school shooters under age 18 gained access to the guns they used from the homes of parents or close family members.
I’m the Dover lead for Be SMART, a program of the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. The SMART acronym encapsulates five essential steps that community members can take to protect children from gun-related tragedies:
Responsible gun ownership extends beyond personal use to ensuring that firearms are inaccessible to children and others who shouldn’t have them. You can do your part to keep our kids safe by securely storing weapons in your homes or cars, including locking guns, unloading them and storing ammunition separately. SMART Week, which this year is Aug. 25-29, serves as a reminder that advocating for children’s safety starts with securing our own firearms and then asking others to do the same. By normalizing these conversations, we can prevent tragedies and save lives.
I urge everyone to educate themselves about secure firearm storage and look for the Be SMART presence at events throughout the year. Together, we can create a safer future for our children and community.
Cheryl M. Scheir
Dover
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
