If it’s unlocked,
    it can be unboxed.

    Toy unboxing videos get millions of views online. But in real life, millions of American children are at risk of unboxing something dangerous:
    an unlocked gun.

    Icon

    Watch Video

    Guns and kids in the home

    8 kids are shot every day by a misused or unlocked gun found in the home.1  With COVID-19 restrictions keeping more kids at home, and an explosion in gun sales in 2020,2  that risk may be rising.

    4.6 million

    children live in a home with an unlocked gun3

    3 in 4

    kids know where their parents keep their guns4

    1 in 5

    parents don’t know their kids have handled their guns4

    Guns and kids in the home

    8 kids are shot every day by a misused or unlocked gun found in the home.1  With COVID-19 restrictions keeping more kids at home, and an explosion in gun sales in 2020,2  that risk may be rising.

    4.6 million

    children live in a home with an unlocked gun3

    3 in 4

    kids know where their parents keep their guns4

    1 in 5

    parents don’t know their kids have handled their guns4

    Prevent an unwanted unboxing

    If you own a gun and want to truly protect your family, these steps can help you secure your firearm:
    Keep it unloaded
    Make sure that your gun is completely unloaded before putting it away. If the gun is semi-automatic, ensure there’s not a round still in the chamber.
    Keep it locked
    A lock on the gun itself (whether on the trigger, or a cable though the action or barrel, or both) will ensure it does not fire, which removes the biggest danger of an accidental discovery. Many local police or sheriffs’ departments can give you one for free.
    Keep it away
    Placing your gun in a locked case, locker, or safe is another good way to keep your children safe from an accidental discovery – doubly so if there’s a lock on the gun itself.

    The less accessible the case or box is to children, the better. Remember the lengths you used to go to find your presents? Use that as your guide.
    Keep them separate

    Ammunition should always be
    kept in a completely separate location from the gun itself, and locked up as well.

    Have the conversation

    It’s important for children to understand what they should do if they find a gun. Keep in mind that even if you don’t own a gun yourself, there’s a 1 in 3 chance that the family of your child’s friend will.5

    When encountering a gun, these 4 steps may save your child’s life:
    Line

    1. Stop

    Why stop? Because in the excitement of finding a gun, it’s crucial to slow down so your child can remember what to do next.

    2. Don’t Touch

    Let your child know that they should never touch a gun without an adult supervising them. Ever.

    3. Run Away

    If the gun isn’t in front of your child, they won’t be tempted to pick it up. Tell them to leave the room like it’s filling up with hot lava.

    4. Tell a Grownup

    If the gun belongs to you or someone you know, lock it up someplace safe and contact the owner. If you don’t know where the gun came from, leave it be and call the police immediately.

    Have the conversation

    It’s important for children to understand what they should do if they find a gun. Keep in mind that even if you don’t own a gun yourself, there’s a 1 in 3 chance that the family of your child’s friend will.5

    When encountering a gun, these 4 steps may save your child’s life:

    1. Stop

    Why stop? Because in the excitement of finding a gun, it’s crucial to slow down so your child can remember what to do next.

    2. Don’t Touch

    Let your child know that they should never touch a gun without an adult supervising them. Ever.

    3. Run Away

    If the gun isn’t in front of your child, they won’t be tempted to pick it up. Tell them to leave the room like it’s filling up with hot lava.

    4. Tell a Grownup

    If the gun belongs to you or someone you know, lock it up someplace safe and contact the owner. If you don’t know where the gun came from, leave it be and call the police immediately.

    By locking your guns and teaching your children about firearm safety, you could reduce the risk of suicide by gun or an unintended shooting by up to 32%.6

    1“End Family Fire,” Brady United, accessed January 24, 2020. https://www.bradyunited.org/program/end-family-fire
    2Kate Gibson, “U.S. gun sales surge to record high in 2020,” CBS News, November 3, 2020. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gun-sales-record-high-2020/
    3Deborah Azrael, Joanna Cohen, Carmel Salhi, and Matthew Miller, “Firearm storage in gun-owning households with children: results of a 2015 national survey,” Journal of Urban Health 95, no. 3 (June 2018): 295–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-018-0261-7
    4Frances Baxley and Matthew Miller, “Parental misperceptions about children and firearms,” Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine 160, no. 5 (May 2006): 542-7. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.160.5.542
    5Rich Morin, “The demographics and politics of gun-owning households,” Pew Research Center, July 15, 2014. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/15/the-demographics-and-politics-of-gun-owning-households/
    6Michael C. Monuteaux, Deborah Azrael and Matthew Miller, “Association of Increased Safe Household Firearm Storage With Firearm Suicide and Unintentional Death Among US Youths,” JAMA Pediatrics 173, no. 7 (July 2019): 657-662. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1078

    If it’s unlocked,
    it can be unboxed.

    Toy unboxing videos get millions of views online. But in real life, millions of American children are at risk of unboxing something dangerous: an unlocked gun. 

    Icon

    Watch Video

    Guns and kids in the home

    8 kids are shot every day by a misused or unlocked gun found in the home.1  With COVID-19 restrictions keeping more kids at home, and an explosion in gun sales in 2020,2  that risk may be rising.

    4.6 million

    children live in a home with an unlocked gun3

    3 in 4

    kids know where their parents keep their guns4

    1 in 5

    parents don’t know their kids have handled their guns4

    Prevent an unwanted unboxing

    If you own a gun and want to truly protect your family, these steps can help you secure your firearm:

    Keep it unloaded

    Make sure that your gun is completely unloaded before putting it away. If the gun is semi-automatic, ensure there’s not a round still in the chamber.
    Keep it locked
    A lock on the gun itself (whether on the trigger, or a cable though the action or barrel, or both) will ensure it does not fire, which removes the biggest danger of an accidental discovery. Many local police or sheriffs’ departments can give you one for free.
    Keep it away
    Placing your gun in a locked case, locker, or safe is another good way to keep your children safe from an accidental discovery – doubly so if there’s a lock on the gun itself.

    The less accessible the case or box is to children, the better. Remember the lengths you used to go to find your presents? Use that as your guide.
    Keep them separate

    Ammunition should always be kept in a completely separate location from the gun itself, and locked up as well.

    Have the conversation

    It’s important for children to understand what they should do if they find a gun. Keep in mind that even if you don’t own a gun yourself, there’s a 1 in 3 chance that the family of your child’s friend will.5

    When encountering a gun, these 4 steps may save your child’s life:

    1. Stop

    Why stop? Because in the excitement of finding a gun, it’s crucial to slow down so your child can remember what to do next.

    2. Don’t Touch

    Let your child know that they should never touch a gun without an adult supervising them. Ever.

    3. Run Away

    If the gun isn’t in front of your child, they won’t be tempted to pick it up. Tell them to leave the room like it’s filling up with hot lava.

    4. Tell a Grownup

    If the gun belongs to you or someone you know, lock it up someplace safe and contact the owner. If you don’t know where the gun came from, leave it be and call the police immediately.

    By locking your guns and teaching your children about firearm safety, you could reduce the risk of suicide by gun or an unintended shooting by up to 32%.6

    1“End Family Fire,” Brady United, accessed January 24, 2020. https://www.bradyunited.org/program/end-family-fire
    2Kate Gibson, “U.S. gun sales surge to record high in 2020,” CBS News, November 3, 2020. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gun-sales-record-high-2020/
    3Deborah Azrael, Joanna Cohen, Carmel Salhi, and Matthew Miller, “Firearm storage in gun-owning households with children: results of a 2015 national survey,” Journal of Urban Health 95, no. 3 (June 2018): 295–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-018-0261-7
    4Frances Baxley and Matthew Miller, “Parental misperceptions about children and firearms,” Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine 160, no. 5 (May 2006): 542-7. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.160.5.542
    5Rich Morin, “The demographics and politics of gun-owning households,” Pew Research Center, July 15, 2014. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/15/the-demographics-and-politics-of-gun-owning-households/
    6Michael C. Monuteaux, Deborah Azrael and Matthew Miller, “Association of Increased Safe Household Firearm Storage With Firearm Suicide and Unintentional Death Among US Youths,” JAMA Pediatrics 173, no. 7 (July 2019): 657-662. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1078