Mia Parker: Safe firearm storage saves lives

By Mia Parker

There are many things we do every day to keep ourselves, our kids and other people safe. We lock doors, buckle seat beats, password protect information others shouldn’t have access to and look both ways before crossing the street. Everyday habits for firearm safety should be no different. Choosing to safely store all your firearms when you are not using them can prevent theft, misuse, injuries and deaths.

Firearms were the leading cause of death among children younger than 18 years old in Spokane County from 2018-2022, according to death certificate data from the Washington state Department of Health’s Center for Health Statistics. This aligns with trends in child death across our country. In 2020, firearms became the leading cause of death among children and adolescents younger than 19 years old in the U.S.

Child and adolescent deaths caused by firearms can be classified as suicide, homicide or accidental deaths, as reported by the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention. Findings from public health fatality reviews across the U.S. suggest that more than 75% of firearms used in deaths of children under 18 were stored unlocked. Furthermore, findings suggest that in the U.S., the most common location where children younger than 18 die from firearms is in their own home.

Harvard Health Publishing’s Senior Faculty Editor Dr. Claire McCarthy wrote in the Child & Teen Blog, “Children and gun safety: What to know and do,” that 3 out of 4 children living in a house with a firearm know where the firearm is, even when their parents think they don’t. Young children are smart, observant and naturally curious. Adolescents often share these traits and experience heightened emotions. A hidden and unlocked firearm is not safe, and it’s important for adults to role model responsible handling and storage of firearms around children and teens. The age groups most likely to unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else are 14- and 17-year-old high schoolers, followed by preschoolers who are 5 years old or younger.

Even if your teen or child has had firearm safety training, safely storing your firearms is essential for their safety.

Safe firearm storage doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, and a safely stored firearm can still be accessed quickly in an emergency. You can use a variety of firearm locking devices to safely store your firearms at home, in the car, and in other locations. Options include firearm vaults or safes, lockboxes, trigger locks and cable locks. Locking devices vary in price and have a range of features, such as key, combination and biometric opening mechanisms.

Choose the right firearm locking device or devices for you and remember that safety and security are a continuum. A firearm is least secure when it is loaded and unsecured. A firearm is more secure when it is loaded and locked up. A firearm is most secure when it is unloaded, locked up, and the ammunition is locked up in a separate location.

In addition to choosing the right firearm locking devices for you and locking all your firearms when they are not in use, you can build on your everyday firearm safety habits by talking with others about firearm safety, including talking about safe firearm storage, learning more by taking a firearm safety class and planning for the future of your firearms by making a firearm life plan. Free planning tools and information are available at firearmlifeplan.org.

You can also find further information on suicide prevention efforts and safe firearm storage by visiting srhd.org and searching for “firearm safety.”

Mia Parker is the Keeping Children Safe coordinator for the Spokane Regional Health District.