Is there an unlocked gun where my child plays? | READER COMMENTARY

Last February, a 4-year old girl in Lansdowne accidentally shot herself after getting her hands on an unsecured firearm. Every day across America, an average of eight children and teens are unintentionally injured or killed due to an unlocked or unsupervised gun. While many children fear the threat of a school shooting, as more children are on summer vacation and spending more time at home, a gun in the home becomes the greatest threat (“A pediatrician’s perspective on gun violence,” Jan. 26).

According to an analysis by Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization, half of the weeks in the year with the most unintentional shootings by children occurred during summer.

As kids stay home from school for the summer, now is the time when Americans must take action to protect our kids. Friday, June 21 is “Asking Saves Kids” (ASK) Day. By commemorating ASK Day, we prioritize our children’s lives and safety by urging all parents and caretakers to ask if there are unlocked guns where children play or hang out. Parents ask all sorts of questions before their children visit other homes, including about pets and allergies. ASK Day encourages parents to add one more question: “Is there an unlocked gun in your home?”

All of us — gun owners and non-gun owners alike — have a role in preventing family fire. Family fire refers to a shooting caused by someone having access to a gun from home when they shouldn’t have it. Unintentional shootings, suicide and intentional shootings are all forms of family fire. If safe storage practices are deployed in just 20% more households with children, we could reduce firearm suicide and unintentional firearm fatalities among youth by up to 32%.

For some, ASKing could be the first step that encourages lifesaving change. In Baltimore, we can all take the simple step of ASKing. Together, we’ll make ASKing part of our routine before sending our kids off to be with friends. Raising awareness about the risks of unsecured firearms in our community will help us reshape our culture and bring ourselves closer to a future free from gun violence.

ASK in June so your child makes it to school in August.

— Jasir Rahman, Houston, Texas

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