Stopping the No. 1 killer of American kids: guns

Firearms are the No. 1 killer of children in the United States, but secure gun storage could remove the target from their backs.

This is the central message from Be SMART, the educational arm of Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit gun violence prevention organization.

“We are nonpartisan and we don’t talk about policy,” said Kay Thomsen, an Eden Prairie resident and active volunteer with Be SMART. “We don’t have any stance on gun ownership, and we don’t talk about taking people’s guns away. We talk about secure storage of firearms and keeping guns away from children because we want to reduce unintentional shootings.”

Thomsen shared some sobering statistics:

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• Seventy-five percent of school shooters acquire firearms from the home of a parent or close relative, and almost 25% of these were taken from their vehicles.
• An estimated 4.6 million kids live in a household with at least one gun that is unlocked and loaded.
• Every year 360 kids under the age of eight gain access to firearms and accidentally shoot themselves or another.
• Seven hundred children die by gun suicide every year.
• Ninety percent of suicide attempts with a gun result in death.

“We see it in the papers,” Thomsen said. “And for each child who dies, that child has a family, and a community, and a school that are affected by this for the rest of their lives.”

Spreading the message about gun safety

Be SMART provides free educational materials, hosts tables at events, and gives free presentations on request. It also hands out free gun locks at events as well as through the Eden Prairie Police Department. “All you have to do is show up and ask for one,” Thomsen said.

The nonprofit will share information and give away gun locks at the Harvest to Halloween at the Barn, a city-sponsored event at the Riley-Jacques Farmstead on Oct. 12. It also recently hosted tables at the Eden Prairie Schools’ staff wellness fair and the Citywide Celebration/GIVE Gathering.

Be SMART can also advise on various gun storage options for all budgets, from full-size gun safes to cable locks to secure storage in vehicles. Thomsen said vehicle storage is often overlooked, but of the more than 500,000 guns stolen each year, more than half are from cars.

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Talk to kids, but more importantly, talk to adults in charge

Although it’s important to talk to kids about gun safety, adults are ultimately responsible for modeling responsible behavior around guns, including proper storage in the home, car, and anywhere else they may take one, Thomsen said.

Parents who don’t have guns in the home still need to be aware that their kids could be at risk while away at a play date. Be SMART advises that parents should ask if a host has guns in the home and whether they’re secure.

Thomsen said many parents say they never thought to ask or aren’t sure if it’s even appropriate, but Be SMART provides tips on how to approach what might feel like awkward conversations.

“You can’t really rely on a child to 100% avoid something that is so attractive to touch,” she said. “Also, there’s peer pressure. Maybe your child is at someone’s house, and they see this gun. Dad or mom thinks that they hid the gun well enough, and most of the time, the kid does know where the gun is, and they get it out, and they are going to touch it.”

How to get involved

Thomsen said Be SMART is always looking for volunteers to spread the word about secure gun storage and is also available to host educational sessions in the community. To learn more, visit Be SMART’s website or email Thomsen at kay323538@gmail.com.