As investigators work to piece together what led up to the tragic accidental shooting that claimed the life of a 6-year-old boy in Montgomery County Tuesday, there are calls for awareness to protect some of the community’s youngest residents.
There’s been at least three unintentional shootings by children in Maryland this year, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
“This is a 6-year-old boy,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, the 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.”
Moms Demand Action has many different gun safety initiatives, including “Be Safe,” which aims to help reduce the number of shootings that occur due to guns not being secured.
“When you educate people about the risk and then you give them the tools and understanding when it comes to owning a firearm, what that means and responsible gun storage is incredibly important when we talk about saving lives,” Ferrell-Zabala said.
Maryland law prohibits loaded firearms from being stored or left where an unsupervised minor may have access to the gun.
In Montgomery County, gun locks are also free to the public at each police station.
Montgomery County investigators say no foul play is suspected in Tuesday’s shooting. Police say they’re still working to find out how the child gained possession of the gun and who it belongs to. Police did say one adult was inside the house at the time of the shooting. It’s not clear what the relationship is between the adult and the 6-year-old.
“We have to make sure that adults and gun owners are keeping kids and communities safe — that means securely storing your firearms,” Ferrell-Zabala said.
Here’s a quick look at important reminders to keep you and your children safe:
- Store and lock firearms unloaded.
- Store and lock ammunition separately from firearms every time.
- Ensure keys and combinations to gun safes are not accessible to minors.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/S8JUeq4
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