A pledge to ensure students鈥� families are continuously reminded about the importance of safely storing firearms is gaining significant traction in school districts across the country, according to a gun-safety advocacy organization.
In 2018, school boards across the country began passing resolutions based on that pledge that require their schools to distribute flyers to families about how to safely store firearms in their homes. Over the past year, the number of students whose families are receiving these flyers at home has increased from about two million to eight and a half million, according to Shannon Watts, founder of the advocacy organization Moms Demand Action.
And that number continues to increase. The most recent sign-on came on Dec. 13 in Orange County, Fla., where the local school board voted unanimously to begin sharing the information with families in January, and annually in subsequent years. That means its 209,000 students will be sent home with the information.
鈥淚f guns aren鈥檛 properly stored, it can result in tragedy and that includes children finding firearms, and wounding or killing themselves or other people,鈥� Watts said, from the U.S. Secret Service that shows the majority of school shooters use firearms from their homes. 鈥淪ecure storage can prevent these things from happening.鈥�
It鈥檚 a relatively small step, and nobody is really convinced that a fact sheet alone will prevent gun violence either at home or at school. But it does keep the issue front-and-center, on people鈥檚 minds, and could help normalize conversations about firearm safety, Watts said.
Researchers estimate that safely store all their guns, generally defined as storing them locked, unloaded, and separately from ammunition. Research also estimates that live in households where loaded guns are not kept under lock and key.
While more than half of U.S. states have child access prevention laws, their details vary significantly, and often aren鈥檛 well known.
So, schools are an important conduit to raising awareness, Watts said.
Despite political rhetoric, there is common ground
The issue of safe firearm storage isn鈥檛 as political as the general right to own or carry guns, Watts said, and the organization has found success in communities that lean both liberal and conservative.
Districts in states like Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, and New Mexico, among others, have taken up the issue.
In August, California became the first to enact a statewide policy that all public and charter schools notify families about secure firearm storage.
Regardless of location or political values, there seems to be a nearly universal agreement that if people own guns that they should be stored safely, Watts said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 certainly political rhetoric around this issue and politicians have used it to drum up excitement, but we have seen action and progress on this issue where we haven鈥檛 seen it on other issues around guns,鈥� Watts said. 鈥淭his is a place where we just find real common ground. It shouldn鈥檛 be political. It shouldn鈥檛 be polarizing. It鈥檚 basic responsibility if you鈥檙e going to have a gun in your home.鈥�
The National Rifle Association, the leading advocacy organization for gun owners鈥� rights, has several pages on its website about the . The group to store firearms unloaded, out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet or safe.
Watts said she is hopeful that the movement will continue to spread to districts across the country, and that more statewide policies, like California鈥檚, will be enacted.
Linda Coffin, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action in Florida, said Orange County passing its safe storage resolution is proof broader success is possible.
鈥淓very adult has a role to play to keep guns out of the reach of children,鈥� Coffin said. 鈥淲e will continue to do this life-saving work in communities across the country until we reach every student鈥檚 home. Hopefully, 8.5 million students will be just a drop in the bucket a year or two from now.鈥�
