Be SMART for Kids

Angela is right: Tragedies like this CAN be prevented by taking a few simple steps to secure guns in homes and vehicles. Be SMART: Assume curious children will find guns and store them unloaded, locked and separate from ammunition.

“This is a 6-year-old boy,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “Had his entire future ahead of him, and it’s just so hard to hear something like this, especially knowing that this is a preventable tragedy.”

‘Preventable tragedy': Lock up guns, advocates say after child dies in accident As investigators work to piece together what led to the tragic accidental shooting that claimed the life of a 6-year-old boy in Montgomery County on Tuesday, there are calls for awareness to protect…

A 6-year-old boy found an unsecured, loaded gun inside a Maryland home and discharged it, killing him. Police have not yet said how the child accessed the gun or to whom it belongs.

In just the past couple of weeks, children as young as 2 have found guns and pulled the trigger, resulting in critical injuries and even death.

These tragedies are preventable.

If you own a gun and children live in or visit your home, store them unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition—at home and in vehicles. The safety of kids and families depends on it.

Learn more: besmartforkids.org

In just the past couple of weeks, children as young as 2 have found guns and pulled the trigger, resulting in critical injuries and even death.

These tragedies are preventable.

These shootings are preventable by taking a few simple steps to secure guns in homes and vehicles—stored unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition.

“Kind of didn't expect that from a police officer who has the best firearms training," said a neighbor.

Shootings by children can be prevented by taking a few simple steps to secure guns in homes and vehicles, stored unloaded, locked and separate from ammunition. Learn more at besmartforkids.org.

Toddler finds gun, shoots off-duty Harris County deputy, constable says Investigators said a 3-year-old found a gun and shot an off-duty HCSO deputy while he was asleep on the couch.

An off-duty sheriff’s deputy in Harris County, TX was asleep on a couch when his 3-year-old nephew found a loaded gun in a holster and discharged it, striking the deputy in the hand. Thankfully, the child was unharmed. buff.ly/YcdsEhm

This is the height of irresponsible gun ownership. Guns should be secured in homes and vehicles to prevent shootings by children and teens—stored unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition.

"Katen loved her family. She was a great younger sister. She loved country stuff, big trucks. Her nieces and nephews. She meant everything to us and our hearts are shattered forever," said her sister.

The man said he met the girls on social media, picked them up, and bought them alcohol to drink in an Elizabethtown, KY parking lot. The teen who fired the gun said she believed it was not loaded. Both the teen and the man now face charges.

AGAIN. Fifteen-year-old Katen Atwell was shot and killed by another 15-year-old girl after accessing an unsecured gun inside the car of a 21-year-old man. 🧵

Leaving a gun unattended, even for a very short time, can have devastating consequences. The most effective way to prevent children from accessing guns is making sure guns are always stored unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition.

Children are curious, and may be looking for presents and other goodies this time of year. Make sure you store all firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition to keep a joyous season from becoming a tragic one. #BeSMART

Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. Many of these tragedies could be prevented by taking a few simple steps to secure guns in homes and vehicles—stored unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition.

Learn more at besmartforkids.org.

Talking with children about gun safety is a good precaution, and those conversations should evolve as children grow older. But it is not a guarantee of protection.

Find information about how to talk with children and teens about guns and how to store them securely at besmartforkids.org. #BeSMART

Kids and unsecured guns can be a lethal combination. Simple conversations can help keep children out of harm’s way. Before your child visits another person's home, ask about the presence of guns and how they are secured.

Read our resource for asking about secure gun storage: https://etwn.us/4oFxWjX

Did you know that cars parked at residences are the most common source of stolen guns? Each stolen firearm represents a weapon in the hands of a potential criminal, making all of us less safe.

Protect kids and communities by making sure firearms are always stored securely—in homes AND vehicles.

This Thanksgiving Day, we're thankful for our incredible #BeSMART volunteers, who work tirelessly to keep our kids and families safe!

Our volunteers are saving lives by stopping preventable gun violence by children and teens. Thank you all for your amazing work!

As you gather with family and friends this week, it's important to ask if all the firearms in the home and in vehicles are securely stored before visiting.

That means guns are stored unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition. #BeSMART

A 5-year-old boy fatally shot himself while playing with his father's unsecured firearm in Jackson, Mississippi.

Tragedies like this are preventable. Adults are always responsible for ensuring the safety of the children in their care by storing guns unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition.

This National Injury Prevention Day, #BeSMART is proud to partner with @injuryfreekids.bsky.social, @safekidsworldwide.bsky.social, Safe State Alliance and other leaders in injury & violence prevention to shine a light on the devastating effects of predictable and preventable injuries. #BeInjuryFree

A 4-year-old boy sustained life-threatening injuries after unintentionally discharging an unsecured firearm at a home in North Carolina.

Storing firearms unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition can prevent these tragedies.

Twin 4-year-olds rushed to Orlando hospital with gunshot wounds; parents arrested Two 4-year-old twins were hospitalized after they were shot Saturday at their family home.

Two 4-year-old twins were critically injured after finding and unintentionally firing a loaded gun that was hidden under a couch cushion.

Assume curious children will find guns and store them unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition

https://etwn.us/47T7BIG

Secure firearm storage means guns should always be inaccessible to kids—that means storing them unloaded, locked, and separated from ammunition.

Learn more about secure firearm storage at besmartforkids.org

That's roughly one shooting per day. Unintentional shootings by children aren't accidental—they're preventable.

#BeSMART helps parents and other adults normalize having conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent unintentional shootings by children.

A 7-year-old boy fatally shot himself last week after unintentionally discharging an unsecured firearm that he found while at a short-term rental property in Columbus, Ohio.

Tragedies like this are preventable with secure storage.

https://etwn.us/3WBnM8o

Happy Halloween! 👻 Be SMART volunteers have been talking to parents and caregivers about secure firearm storage at festive events across the country all month.

Talking about how and where guns are stored in their home doesn’t have to be scary! We’ve made it easy: https://etwn.us/47wsSrs

Gun thefts from vehicles are the largest source of stolen guns. Storing guns securely in cars is essential to protecting your communities, your family, and yourself.

Learn more about why—and how—firearms should be secured in vehicles: https://etwn.us/4785Oz0