Children are naturally curious, even about firearms they’ve been warned not to touch. Keep guns out of reach and out of sight of children or visitors by storing them securely. Leaving guns unsecured – on a nightstand, table, or other place where anyone can gain access – can lead to injuries and fatalities. Having firearms in the home increases the risk of unintentional shootings, suicide and homicide. Suicide rates in this population are four times higher than for those who live in homes without guns.
Safety Tips
- Store guns, including hunting rifles, unloaded and secured with effective, child-resistant gun locks in a locked container out of the reach and sight of children and visitors.
- Store ammunition in a separate locked container out of the reach and sight.
- Use combination locks and safes, or safes that use fingerprint recognition locks. Keep the combinations carefully hidden.
- When a gun is not being stored, keep it in your immediate possession and control at all times. Otherwise, store the gun unloaded, locked and separate from ammunition.
- If you carry a gun in your car, make sure to outfit your vehicle with a lockable container so you can securely store the gun when you exit the vehicle.
- If a family member or loved one is in crisis and may be a risk to themselves or others, consider removing firearms from your home. Such crises can involve people who are depressed, suicidal, or abusing drugs or alcohol.
- Consider gun trigger locks.
- Know the laws where you live and visit.
- Before your children visit other homes, ask about firearms in the same way you might discuss food allergies.
- Talk frankly with your children about guns, safety and situations they might confront, including basic firearms safety and the difference between video games, TV, movies and real life.
Apply similar care to non-powder and air-soft guns including BB guns, paintball guns and pellet guns. Used improperly, these other kinds of “guns” can cause serious injuries, particularly to the head, neck, abdomen or eyes.
