Keeping kids safe

What’s the best solution?

Whether through criminal acts, by their own hand, or by accident—and often as a result of negligence—23 children are shot on average every day in the United States. In 2021, 2,571 children died in shootings, a 68% increase since 2000. The problem is so serious that firearms are now the leading cause of death among American children.

So what are the potential solutions to this crisis? One option is laws around safe storage, which are supported by 77% of American voters, across political affiliation. Eight states currently have such laws, but more are considering them. The Rhode Island Senate, for example, just approved a bill that would require all firearms to be stored in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock when not being used by the owner or another authorized user.

But no law is foolproof. New York has a safe storage law, but it didn’t prevent an Albany 6-year-old from accidentally shooting his 3-year-old brother after finding an unsecured, loaded firearm in the house last month. To help encourage the safe storage of weapons, community outreach approaches are gaining traction. The U.S. Department of Education issued a resource for school administrators to use to educate school families on the importance of safe storage. Counseling about gun storage in the home is increasingly becoming routine in healthcare settings as well.

Then there’s technology. A Colorado-based startup just released a new ‘smart gun’ that aims to prevent kids from shooting their parents’ weapons. The smart gun is equipped with fingerprint and facial-recognition technology that allows it to fire only when held by authorized users. There are also gun holsters on the market that work in a similar fashion. 

Finally, there’s good old-fashioned parental responsibility. Following the Jennifer and James Crumbley case, will more parents be held criminally responsible if their kids commit violent acts with a firearm? Possibly. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin just vetoed a host of gun-related bills, but he did sign into law a measure that would allow for parents to be charged with a felony if they allow a child to have access to a firearm after being notified the child poses a threat of violence.

There are pros and cons to all of these solutions. Let us know what you think of them.