Gun Safety in the Home

Charlottesville Coalition for Gun Violence Prevention

This holiday season, you and your children may be visiting the homes of friends and family

members. Before those visits, please take the time to:

1. Talk to your children about gun safety, reminding them not to touch guns, and to tell a parent or supervising adult if they find one.

2. ASK those who may be hosting your children in their homes, “Are there any guns in your home? If so, are they secured and unloaded?” If this sounds too abrupt, consider framing that question by prefacing it with, “My child is extremely curious/has a new fascination with guns/likes to play war.”

And a reminder: If you own a gun, store it securely, (best, unloaded and secured in a gun safe

or with a gun lock--ammo stored separately).

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT?

1. An estimated 4/6 million children in the U.S. live in a household with at least one loaded and unlocked firearm.

2. One in three gun owners store weapons loaded and unlocked.

3. Research shows that secure firearm storage is associated with an up to 85% reduction in the risk of self-inflicted and inadvertent firearm injuries among children

4. Virginia law requires gun owners to store firearms where a child is unlikely to gain access

5. Of the 40,000 gun deaths in the U.S. each year, about half are suicides

6. 80% of guns found or fired in schools come from the home OF A STUDENT, OR A FRIEND OR RELATIVE.

SOME PROVEN WAYS TO SECURE GUNS

1. Pistol, revolver, and rifle cable locks are free from the Albemarle and Charlottesville police. To find out how to use a gun cable lock watch this video.

2. Gun safes are also effective. Find out more about different gun safes here. If you own a gun for protection purposes, and want to keep it close, say, on a bedside table, consider buying a biometric gun safe. These can be purchased from Amazon.com for under $100. The gun safe requires your fingerprint for access. Compare brands and prices from Amazon here.

To learn more about the Charlottesville Coalition for Gun Violence Prevention, visit their website at www.ccgvp.org.