KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – In an effort to lower the number of children and teens who are unintentionally injured or killed due to unlocked or unsupervised guns in the home, Bronson Children’s Hospital and Bronson Childhood Injury Prevention in Kalamazoo have partnered with the Van Buren County and Kalamazoo County sheriff’s departments to distribute free gun safety locks.
Parents and caregivers can pick up the gun safety locks at their Bronson pediatrician’s office. They say anyone who owns a gun is encouraged to visit their local sheriff’s department for a free gun safety lock, no questions asked.
Bronson officials say guns are the leading cause of death in youth between 1 and 24 years of age in the U.S. According to Project Childsafe, an average of 12 children are killed by a gun every day.
They say one in three homes with children under 18 years of age has a gun. In 43% of these homes, the gun is unlocked or loaded. This equals approximately 4.6 million children living in a home with an unlocked or loaded gun across the country.
“The reality is that children and teens have a deeply ingrained sense of curiosity, which can be exceptionally dangerous in homes having unlocked firearms,” says Thomas Huggett, MD, a pediatrician with Bronson LakeView Family Care. “This public health concern is one that we have the power to change. Safe storage of guns can prevent unintentional shootings, violence and gun tragedies from happening in our community.”
“Safe gun storage is one essential strategy to prevent injuries and deaths in Southwest Michigan. Partnerships to provide gun locks at no cost demonstrate the community’s commitment to keeping families safe,” says Joel Murr, Director of Community Health Advancement at Bronson Healthcare.
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