Volunteers in Charlotte are educating people on the safe storage of firearms to keep them out of the hands of minors.
What You Need To Know
- Volunteers with Be Smart are educating people on safe gun storage
- They say it can prevent guns from getting in the hands of minors
- This is a topic they’ve been talking about a lot lately in light of shootings across the country
Shannon Klug and Scarlett Hollingsworth volunteer with Be Smart, an organization that aims to raise awareness about safe gun storage.
Klug, who is a U.S. Airforce veteran, says she learned a lot about gun safety while serving.
“So I learned a lot about gun safety thanks to the Airforce and about how the training, the safety and the accountability around a firearm is so critically important,” she said.
This is a topic Klug has been talking a lot about lately amid shootings across the country.
“We are seeing a lot more interest,” she said. "After every unfortunate tragic shooting event, we do get more calls about coming out to talk to community members and asking about things like free gun locks.”
Hollingsworth adds that while they talk about mass shootings, they also focus on other types of gun violence.
“It’s really because of homicides, suicides, accidental, undetermined,” she said.
According to Everytown, gun suicides account for 59% of gun deaths in the U.S., while homicides account for 38%.
The other 3% of gun deaths include unintentional, shootings by police and undetermined.
Mainly, they're focused on preventing kids from accidentally finding an unsecured gun.
In North Carolina this year, Everytown found eight unintentional shootings by a minor, resulting in three deaths and seven injuries.
Hollingsworth and Klug say if your gun is stored properly, this can be prevented.
“It’s just without access to the guns, without access to do this when they’re not supposed to have their hands on them and trusting that they’ve been trained because you’ve told them not to touch it, that that’s what is going to protect them. That is not proven to be true,” said Hollingsworth.
“It’s one small thing to do to protect the life of a child,” Hollingsworth added.
At events, they hand out free gun locks and try to normalize the conversation around safe storage.
“We are happy to teach them how to secure their guns and then also have them continue to spread that message to their family members in the community and I think that’s how we’re gonna really reduce gun violence in our nation,” said Klug.
“It’s really on all adults to do that,” said Hollingsworth. “If you are a gun owner or if you know someone that is, this should be top of mind because we, right now, we have an epidemic,” said Hollingsworth.
Be Smart provides resources and tools online to talk to kids and adults about safe gun storage.