With children and teens home from school

The Be SMART Campaign Raises Awareness About Secure Gun Storage – Storing Guns Locked, Unloaded and Separate From Ammunition – Which Has Been Shown to Save Lives

MARCH 27 Bolingbrook Today, County Board Member Traynere urged adults to securely store firearms in order to keep guns out of the hands of children and teens to prevent unintentional shootings and gun suicides. While responsible gun owners always store their guns locked, unloaded and separately from ammunition, it’s even more important right now, with so many students home from school.

“As adults, we’re responsible for keeping kids safe. During this public health emergency, our children and teens are spending a lot of time isolated from friends and extended family,” said Jackie. “Adults should always assume children and teens know where guns are stored, and it is our responsibility to keep them locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition.”

Board Member Traynere reminded residents that unloaded firearms should be secured with a firearm locking device, such as a jacket or cable lock, or in a locked location, like a safe or lock box. Ammunition should be stored separately from the firearm in a secure location.

Every year, nearly 350 children living in America under the age of 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. In addition, more than 600 children living in America die by gun suicide every year.

An estimated 13 million households with children in the U.S. have at least one gun. Not all of these firearms are stored securely, with approximately 4.6 million children living in a household with at least one gun that is stored loaded and unlocked.

Research indicates that secure gun storage practices, including storing household guns locked, unloaded, and separate from the ammunition, are associated with reduced rates of child firearm suicide. One study showed that households that locked both firearms and ammunition had a 78 percent lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries among children and teenagers.

[Volunteers with the Naperville chapter of Moms Demand Action have advocated for the Be SMART program in their local communities since 2015. By inspiring a series of conversations about secure gun storage, Be SMART helps other adults learn about the simple steps that everyone — gun owners and non-gun owners alike—can take to prevent both unintentional shootings by children and teen suicide. Today, almost 17,000 people are active with Be SMART and there have been more than 6,500 events across all 50 states. For more information about secure storage of firearms, visit https://besmartforkids.org/ ]