Unsecured Firearms Results in Tragedy for Kids

Children die from accidental shootings nearly every day in this country. It’s sometimes the result of goofy teens who are showing off or playing around; other times a naïve child is playing with a weapon whose power to harm or kill is not understood.  Tragically, when kids get their hands on weapons, it’s generally because careless adults have not secured them properly.  These accidental injuries and deaths are always preventable.

Florida Heartbreaks 

The problem of guns that are not secured is not just a statistical matter.  Real children with real families suffer the impacts of this type of negligence:

• Six-year old got her hands on her mother’s gun and accidentally fatally shot herself;
• 15-year old was at a friend’s house when the teens discovered a gun. While one teen was attempting to frighten his friend, the gun went off, and one boy was killed.
• 15-year-old died a few days after a fatal gunshot to his head while at a friend’s home.

Justifying Unlocked Firearms 

Clearly, the importance of adults locking up their weapons in a responsible way cannot be overstated, especially since gun ownership is so prevalent in this country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a quarter of families who owned guns kept at least one weapon unsecured and loaded at all times. The acting director of the violence prevention division explained that many parents mistakenly believe that their children do not realize there is a weapon in their home, or, if they do know of the existence of the firearm, parents believe that kids won’t try to access it because parents have threatened them to steer clear of it. Clearly, threats of punishment don’t always work.

Vehicles Containing Guns 

Many people leave loaded firearms in their vehicles. This is truly a bad idea, considering the fact that nearly 70,000 guns are stolen from vehicles annually. That means cars and trucks are the most frequent source of stolen firearms in America. In easily understood terms,  it turns out that every nine minutes a gun is stolen from a vehicle somewhere in the United States.

Kids and Guns 

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for kids aged 0-17 in the United States–  and one of the most frequent types of unintentional injury involves firearms. Most of the time victims were in a house or apartment at the time of the injury, with only about half in their own homes.  In other words, even if your own home is safe, your child could be at risk when at the home of a friend whose parents are less diligent about securing their weapons. That means there is a very real risk of injury or death. Heartbreakingly, more than 60 percent of kids who shoot someone are simply goofing around or showing off when the discharge occurs. The shooters are most often a friend, acquaintance, or sibling.

Getting the Call 

No parent ever wants to be the recipient of news involving the injury or death of their child. If you’ve received that call and it involved an unsecured gun, you will have to manage your rage along with the misery of your loss. While no amount of money will ever heal your wounds, it can certainly address your financial losses while sending a message to those who recklessly fail to secure their weapons.  To discuss the possibilities, schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced, compassionate Kissimmee personal injury attorney at Salazar & Kelly Law Group today.