Know The Facts

  • Guns are now a prevalent health hazard. More than half of American families keep firearms in their homes. Injuries and deaths from firearms are escalating at an alarming rate in the United States.
  • In the United States, 70% of the unintentional firearm shootings involved handguns.
  • Children as young as 3-years old are strong enough to pull the trigger of many handguns available in the United States.
  • Unintentional shootings among children most often occur when children are unsupervised and out of school.
  • If you choose to have a gun, firearm or pellet gun in your home, you are responsible to educate your family. You also are responsible for proper storing of all firearms.
  • Education is our first line of defense in eliminating unintentional gun injuries and fatalities.       
  • Males die 14 times more than females from unintentional gunshot wounds.
  • 90% of unintentional shootings involving children are linked to an easily accessible, loaded handgun in the home.
  • In a home where there have been previous episodes of depression or suicide attempts, the mere presence of a gun increases the chance of suicide, the third leading cause of death among people 15-34 years old.
  • Death rates for 15-19 year olds have jumped 61% and gun-related homicides are the second leading cause of death in this age group.

Steps To Safety

  • Store all firearms out of children's reach and in a locked cabinet or drawer.
  • Store ammunition in a separate locked cabinet.
  • Treat all guns and firearms, including pellet guns, as if they are loaded.
  • Tell children to never touch a gun.
  • Keep the gun unloaded. Never leave a bullet in a stored gun.
  • Always keep the gun's safety on, even if it is unloaded.
  • Do not keep firearms in the home if someone has a history of depression or thoughts of suicide.
  • Teach gun safety in the home.
  • All gun owners and their children should take a gun safety course.
  • Teach your child the difference between a toy gun and a real gun
  • Safety lessons that explain the rules for gun safety should be done openly with time for the child to ask questions.

What Should A Child Do If They Find A Gun?

STOP!

DO NOT TOUCH THE GUN!

LEAVE THE AREA AND GET AN ADULT IMMEDIATELY!