One gun was apparently left on a shelf in a Milwaukee home. The other, according to police, was lying on a bed inside a Kenosha home.
After accessing each of these guns, 5-year-olds were killed last week in Southeast Wisconsin by what authorities have described as unintentional, self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
The tragedies highlight the risks posed by firearms left unsecured.
According to research by Everytown for Gun Safety, there have been 127 unintentional shootings by children in the U.S. in 2019.
Parents can take a number of steps to reduce the chances of child access to a firearm, including:
- Securing guns by storing them locked and unloaded (including the chamber), with ammunition locked and stored separately
- Modeling responsible behavior around firearms
- Asking about the presence of unsecured firearms in other people’s homes
Additional information is available through Moms Demand Action’s Be SMART program. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
