BEAUMONT, Texas — Over the last few months, a number of accidental shootings have injured or killed people across Southeast Texas.
A teen was shot in the foot Tuesday in Beaumont and a Port Arthur man died last Friday.
An expert said more needs to be done to put the focus on gun safety so lives can be saved.
Guns and children can be a deadly combination, but there are steps you can take to make sure your firearm doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
“The ATF mandated that every dealer that sells a gun have a lock available for purchase that works with that gun,” said gun safety expert Jennifer Schultz of 2A Tactics. “So, if you are buying a gun ask if it has a lock, and if it doesn't you can just buy one. Alternatively, a safe is a great option as long as the kids don't have access to it.”
A simple cable lock is one of the most common locks for your handguns or rifles. It takes just 30 seconds to install.
“They are supposed to be used. They come with keys. You unlock it and pull it out and put the cable through the chamber and lock it,” Schultz said.
According to a statewide non-profit named Texas Gun Sense, 3,683 people die each year due to unintentional gunfire.
In 2019, 30 children died due to unintentional gunfire. So, it is really important to stress gun safety to children and provide supervision.
“As young as five and six that can shoot the key there is the child not having access to the firearm without adult supervision, and I think that is when most of the mishaps occur,” Schultz said.
The Beaumont Police Department is one of the entities that gift gun safety locks to prevent deadly accidents. So be responsible, and lock up your firearms.