This week, June 1-7, is the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSFâ) Gun Storage Check Weekâ—a reminder for all gun owners to make sure their firearms are securely stored when not in use.
We (the authors of this piece) may disagree about some things regarding firearms, but we agree on at least one big thing —the importance of securely storing firearms to save lives.
Gun Storage Check Week, which takes place during National Safety Month, draws attention to the reasons gun owners and their families should prevent unwanted access to firearms.
Secure storage prevents suicide.
When someone finds themself in a moment of crisis, they may experience intrusive thoughts about suicide. If a firearm is present and available, they may reach for that firearm impulsively. Sadly, the lethality of a firearm means that the person is unlikely to survive this attempt to take their life.
Now imagine that same person in a moment of distress, but the firearm in their home is secured. They cannot simply react. They must slow their actions. Perhaps this interruption is enough to allow intense emotions to subside or a loved one to intervene. Whatever the reason, the secure storage creates a meaningful pause – so meaningful it may save a life.
Firearm suicide accounts for approximately 62% of all gun deaths in the United States. While firearm homicides are in rapid decline, firearm suicide is actually rising. Several studies show that secure storage averts suicides. Firearm suicides among young people are especially concerning. Here too, secure storage is protective. Temporary out-of-home storage may be an option too.
Secure storage prevents stolen firearms.
It’s estimated that between 250,000 and 300,000 firearms are stolen each year. The most common sources are from people’s cars and homes. We feel quite certain in saying no one ever stole a gun to be a responsible gun owner, and in fact, when guns are stolen, they can end up at crime scenes and in sensitive places such as in or near schools or government buildings.
So, one thing all gun owners can do to keep our communities safe is to secure their firearms when they aren’t under their direct control. This can prevent tragic accidents involving children as well.
Secure storage can fit your lifestyle.
More than half of the states have laws that require gun owners to keep their idle firearms secure in their homes or cars. Storage can take a variety of forms to prevent unwanted access. If your gun is sitting on top of a refrigerator, in a backpack in a closet, or unsecured in a car, you’re risking a lot, not only in safety but in potential legal penalties if your firearm is misused.
Responsible firearm storage doesn’t mean you need a thousand dollar gun safe in your basement — though it can mean that for some families. You should pick the secure storage method that’s right for your lifestyle.
There are cable locks, gun safes, lock boxes, lockable gun cases, secure holsters, biometric devices and more for many pistols, rifles, or shotguns. Devices can often be used in combination with each other. The right storage answer is the one that keeps you and your family safe and prevents unauthorized access. NSSF’s Project ChildSafeâ makes free cable gun locks available to communities at law enforcement agencies across the country.
Of course, our lives and circumstances change. Gun Storage Check Week is not just about reviewing your firearm storage habits but making sure the storage methods still provide you with optimal safety. As we age, our household composition changes —we have toddlers or teens or aged persons in the home— or we experience other stressors that can be related to relationships, finances or illness. A Firearm Life Plan can help gun owners evaluate their options and update storage accordingly.
If you’re not sure where to start, visit gunstoragecheck.org, your local firearms dealer, or stop into your local gun range to discuss what will work for you.
Secure storage is a practice.
Safety is a habit, and secure storage should be part of your daily routine. If you’re worried that secure storage will slow access to your firearm when you need it for protection (and we hope you never do), consider using a digital or mechanical lock box or other storage method and practice opening it.
Own responsibly. Own securely.
The community of gun owners prides itself on firearm safety because no gun owner wants their firearm involved in a suicide, accident, or to be stolen and potentially used in a crime. Secure storage protects everyone.
Gun Storage Check Week’s slogan is “Make Sure It’s Secure.” During June 1-7, you’ll see it on billboards across the country and hear it in public service announcements —a simple reminder to do what’s right for family and community safety. Take a few moments to check that the firearms are stored as responsibly as possible. We owe that to each other.
Kerri Raissian is Senior Research Scientist and the Executive Director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Team at the Yale School of Public Health. She is also the Co-leader of the Connecticut Chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network. Bill Brassard is Senior Director, Suicide Prevention Initiatives at the NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association.
