Council calls for more education on secure weapons storage

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 1 minute read

Montgomery County Council members introduced a resolution Tuesday that they hope will reduce gun violence and deaths.

Increased education about gun storage should help, said Council Vice President Kate Stewart and Council Member Kristin Mink, who introduced the resolution. It is co-sponsored by all council members.

“Heartbreaking gun violence continues to claim the lives of members of our community,” Stewart said.

“Providing information on how to store guns safely is one way to better protect Montgomery County. Just a few weeks ago, a three-year-old girl accidentally committed suicide in her home. By working with our county departments and community organizations to disseminate information, our goal is to move closer to ending gun violence in Montgomery County.

Mink added: “There is no defensible reason for the appalling level of gun violence in this country. »

According to Stewart and Mink, approximately In the United States, 360 children under the age of 18 commit unintentional suicide or shoot someone else, and 70% of incidents occur inside a home. Every year, another 1,300 children and adolescents commit suicide by firearm, most often with guns belonging to a family member.

In three out of four school shootings, the shooter acquired his firearm from the home of a parent or relative, they noted.

The resolution includes public education initiatives, including calling on county agencies to step up efforts to inform parents about best practices for safe storage of firearms at home, and working with schools and daycare centers to disseminate this information to families.

The resolution would also require providers receiving county funding to disseminate educational information to parents of children participating in programs about safe firearm storage practices.

In his newsletter, Councilor Evan Glass, a member of Moms Demand Action, highlighted the need to “raise awareness of the importance of storing firearms safely, especially in homes with children.”