When children gain unintended access to a firearm, the consequences can be irreversible.
As gun owners, we accept a simple obligation: no child should ever be able to reach a firearm without an adult present. Most unintentional shootings involving young people happen in a home, with a gun that was left loaded or unsecured. Every one of those incidents is preventable.
The Licensed Gun Owners Welfare Association of Bangladesh encourages every member to store firearms unloaded and locked, with ammunition secured separately, and to talk honestly with the young people in their lives about what to do if they encounter a gun. Secure storage and straightforward conversation are the two habits that do the most to keep kids safe.
Resources
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — federal information on secure gun storage devices and firearm safety requirements.
- World Health Organization — injury prevention — global data and research on injury prevention, including unintentional injuries involving children.
- Safe Storage in Homes with Children — research report PDF (placeholder) — a study examining how locked storage reduces children’s exposure to unsecured firearms.