Firearm Safety

Firearm (gun) injury is the top cause of death in children. Young children and teens are using guns more often to take their own life (suicide) or take someone else’s life (homicide). Children as young as 3 years old can pull the trigger on a gun.

Talking to Your Child

Talk to your child about guns, even if you don’t own one.

• For children under 5 years old, teach them to:
  • Never touch a gun.
  • Walk away if they see a gun.
  • Tell an adult right away if they see a gun.

• For school-age children, teach them:
  • To never take a gun to school.
  • To tell an adult if they see a gun at school, in someone’s home, or a car.
  • To never point a toy gun at someone or pretend it’s real. Someone else may think it’s real and hurt them.
  • That guns on TV and video games are not real. No one gets hurt from them. In real life, people get hurt.

Firearm Safety in Your Home

• Keep guns unloaded with the safety on.
• Store all guns in a lock box or safe 
• Store all ammunition (bullets, cartridges, shells, pellets, and slugs) in a different place than guns. They also need to be locked up in a lock box or safe.
• Never leave a gun somewhere, like in a car or purse, where children can get to them.
• Hiding a gun in a drawer, under a bed, or up high is not securing it.
• Ask your doctor, health care provider, or social worker about getting a lock box or
  cable lock.

Firearm Safety in Other Homes

• Ask if there are guns in any home that your child visits, including family members, friends, and playdates.
• If your child is at a home where there are guns, ask if they’re locked up. Talk to them about how they lock up guns and ammunition.
• Have playdates at your house if you’re worried about guns in someone’s home.

More Information

You can find more information about firearm safety on the following websites:

• Nationwide Children's Hospital - search firearm safety
• American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren
• Center for Disease Control 
• Everytown for Gun Safety
• Giffords

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