Gun Safety: Keeping Children Safe

More than 44 million Americans own firearms. Of the 192 million firearms owned in the United States, 65 million are handguns. Research shows guns in homes are a serious risk to families.  

• A gun kept in the home is 43 times more likely to kill someone known to the family than to kill someone in self-defense.  
• A gun kept in the home triples the risk of homicide.  
• The risk of suicide is 5 times more likely if a gun is kept in the home.  

Advice to parents  

The best way to keep your children safe from injury or death from guns is to NEVER have a gun in the home.  

• Do not purchase a gun, especially a handgun.  
• Remove all guns present in the home.  
• Talk to your children about the dangers of guns, and tell them to stay away from guns.  
• Find out if there are guns in the homes where your children play. If so, talk to the adults in the house about the dangers of guns to their families.  

For those who know of the dangers of guns but still keep a gun in the home.

• Always keep the gun unloaded and locked up.  
• Lock and store the bullets in a separate place.  
• Make sure to hide the keys to the locked boxes.