Another Unsecured Gun, Another Dead Child

According to WAAF News 48, an 8-year-old child died after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot injury. What makes this tragic death even worse is that it didn’t have to happen.

Child Dies From Self-Inflicted Gunshot—

News 48 out of Franklin County Alabama reported that last Saturday, two brothers aged 8 and 4 found a handgun in the family car. They took the gun inside to a bedroom where it discharged while they were handling it. The 8-year-old was struck by the bullet and subsequently flown to a hospital in Birmingham where he died.

I’ve written on a half dozen or so similar incidents in which a child accessed an unsecured gun and killed themself or someone else.

Here are just three such articles to drive the point home:

• 2-Year-Old Shoots Mother and 1-Year-Old Sibling
• Tragedy: 4-Year Old Dies From Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound
• 3 Parents in Custody, 1 on the Run after 2 Colorado Children Die in unintentional shootings

Responsible Gun Storage—

Responsible gun owners don’t leave their guns unsecure, they just don’t. There is an entire industry filled with companies making all kinds of different ways to secure a firearm. With some limited research, anyone can find a solution that can meet the individual’s needs in balancing access and security. There are so many options.

For maximum security, a traditional safe like the one below.

For a balance of security and access, you could opt for a quick access vault, or something like the Reach2 by Vara Safety.

And while I don’t recommend anyone store their firearm inside a vehicle, and detest vehicle mounted ‘holsters,’ there may be a need to secure your gun inside your vehicle if you need to go into a non-permissive environment. In those cases, try something like this from Console Vault.

The point is, it’s not necessary to leave your loaded gun in the sock drawer just so you have access to it. If you have kids, there is just no excuse to leave a gun unsecure for any reason. Keep the gun on you if you don’t have a suitable method of securing the firearm.