Prevent Unintentional Shootings—Lock It Up!
Unsecured guns pose a special risk to children—kids as young as three years old are strong enough to pull a trigger.
Data from the CDC indicates that between 2007 and 2011, an average of 62 children age 14 and under were accidentally shot and killed each year. As of January 17, 2018 — 3 children were killed and 11 were injured unintentionally. In 2017, 132 kids were killed, 216 kids were injured, and 16 adults were shot — all by kids!
Prevent School Shootings—Lock It Up!
65% of the shooters used a gun he/she obtained from his home or from the home of a relative.
In the three years post the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting where 20 young children were murdered, there were over 80 school shootings in K-12 public schools in the United States. The majority of these shootings were committed by minors.
Prevent Suicide—Lock It Up!
Over 80% of teens who commit suicide with a gun used a firearm belonging to someone in their home. Other studies have shown that where there is a drop in the percentage of households owning guns, there was also a similar drop in overall suicide rates for young people.
Suicide is often an impulsive act, and when guns are used, more successful than any other means of suicide combined. Studies have shown that a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide.
