Study finds 90% of accidental gun deaths among kids preventable with safe firearm storage

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus have found that more than 90% of unintentional gun deaths among kids younger than 15 years old are caused by the gun not being stored safely (Source: Study shows unintentional gun deaths among kids are preventable with safe firearm storage,” WOSU, June 27).
 
The new study analyzed 10 years of data between 2009 and 2018 on unintentional firearm deaths among children. Using the National Violent Death Reporting System from the Centers for Disease Control, the study found roughly half of the cases had information available on how the guns were stored. In about 92% of those cases, the firearms were unlocked and loaded.
 
Firearm injuries are the leading cause of death for kids in the U.S. since 2020, surpassing car accidents, according to the CDC.
 
"It's safest not to have the firearms in the home, but if for whatever reason, the family is unable or unwilling to remove firearms from the home, then we recommend that they be stored, unloaded and locked away and with the ammunition stored separately," said Dr. Nichole Michaels, who led the study.