Michigan State Police and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services are partnering to protect children from unsecured firearms.
“The number of firearm deaths, especially among young people, is really going up. This is a trend that we’re seeing across the nation, but it’s something that we’re seeing right here in Michigan. And we know that gun locks can save lives. So there is a package of bills that have now been signed that really look at how can we best protect people from firearm deaths,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, State of Michigan Chief Medical executive.
Together they bought 75.000 cable-style gun locks from Project ChildSafe that will be available for free at MDHHS county offices.
“Now, studies that have been done in this area and on accidental shooting deaths among young people show that the vast majority of the firearms used are on unlocked and loaded. And so, we know that keeping firearms unloaded and locked at home is the best way to prevent those types of accidental deaths, which we all want to prevent,” said Dr. Bagdasarian.
All offices should have the gun locks available no later than June.
According to the state’s website, numbers from 2020 show firearm injuries became the number one cause of death for children not only in the state of Michigan, but also the United States.
“We really want to make these as accessible as possible. I think that some people out there may still be you know, they may still be learning about the importance of gun locks. There may be folks out there who may think that these are really bulky and inconvenient. And I have one with me today just to show you how lightweight and portable this is and how easy this would be to pick up at your local MDA location and take it home and make sure that your gun is secured,” said Dr. Bagdasarian.
The MDHHS also says recent data came out that reviewed 1,200 accidental firearm deaths in young people and the majority were loaded and unlocked guns.
“We know that keeping firearms secured are not only helpful when you’ve got children in the home, making sure that those firearms are not in in reach of children or accessible to children. But we also know that if there’s someone who’s struggling with mental health illnesses, mental health issues in the home, that having a firearm in the home and having that really readily accessible can increase the risk of suicide,” she said.
“There are all kinds of reasons to make sure that firearms are properly stored. Now, there was recent data that came out that reviewed 1200 accidental firearm deaths in young people and what they found is the vast majority of these weapons were loaded and unlocked, but also where they were stored played an impact. Many of these were stored under mattresses or in nightstands or in closets. So, places that are very easy for children to access and in many cases, many of these young children thought that these weapons were either toys or they thought that they were unloaded. So, I think talking to your kids about the importance of not assuming that something is a toy and again, keeping these weapons secure in your home is one way to keep your loved one safe.,” she adds.
