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OSFM »   Community Risk Reduction »   Safe Kids »   Gun Safety

Gun Safety

Child reaching for gun

Did You Know…

  • Approximately 1,600 children in the US are killed each year due to a gun. 
  • 3 out of 4 children ages 5-14 know where the gun is stored.
  • 62% of NC children live in a home with a gun unlocked and loaded. 
  • 59% of suicides in NC are by a handgun.
  • 80% of unintentional firearm deaths in children under the age of 15 are in the home. 
  • A child as young as 3 is strong enough to pull the trigger.  
  • On average, someone is killed by a gun every 6 hours in NC.

Top Safety Tips 

  • Keep guns out of the reach and out of sight of kids by storing them in locked cabinet.
  • Talk to your children about gun safety.
  • Make sure all guns have a gun lock.
  • Keep the keys to gun safes and gun locks hidden and out of the hands of those who should not have access to them.
  • When a gun is not being stored, always keep it in immediate possession and control. 
  • Teach kids proper hunting skills by taking gun safety class.
  • Talk to the grandparents and parents of your children’s friends about guns in the home and how to safely store and secure them. 

Gun Safety Resources

  • Safe Kids Worldwide
  • NC DHHS - NC Department of Health & Human Services
  • NC Against Gun Violence
  • The Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence
  • NC Wildlife Commission - Hunter Education Courses
  • NC Safe Storage Law

This page was last modified on 05/24/2022

Safe Kids

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https://www.ncosfm.gov/community-risk-reduction/safe-kids/gun-safety