We all know there is a disturbing trend in the United States involving gun violence. Not to get into the politics of the situation, but your family of attorneys at Tauber Law Offices is very concerned, especially when it comes to gun deaths involving children.

“The number of school-aged children being killed by firearms is increasing “at alarming rates” in the United States, particularly among black children and older teens,” according to a study published earlier this year in the  American Journal of Medicine.

In fact, shockingly, more than twice as many American kids were shot dead in 2017 than active duty U.S. military personnel and on-duty police officers combined.

Further, a study published last December in the New England Journal of Medicine  found  that firearm injuries are the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. of young people aged 1 to 19.

Almost twice as many American children and teens die each year from gun injuries than from cancer. The study also noted that America’s young people die from gun violence at a rate that’s 36 times higher than the average rate for their peers living in 12 other high-income countries.

Some of these deaths are the result of criminal acts, we know. However, far too many more are caused by accidents that can be avoided.

It is true that innocent families are responding to the rising rates of gun violence by obtaining firearms for their own personal safety. Unfortunately, this is one reason accidental gun deaths are sharply rising.

With a recent case at Tauber Law Offices involving a child killed by a firearm, we strongly believe that now is an important time for gun owners to closely review safety protocols to make sure these accidents are minimized.

According to Dr. Kavita Parikh of Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C., “Handguns represent the most dangerous discovery because they are small enough for a curious child to handle. Children’s hands are strong enough to grip a loaded gun.”

How do you keep kids safe when you have guns in your home? After all, a child as young as 3 has the strength to pull a trigger.

Bill Brassard, director of Project ChildSafe, a gun-safety education program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, has some simple tips for parents:

• Always keep guns locked and out of reach of children.
• Store ammunition in a place different from the guns.
• Never leave a gun out and unattended.
• Tell your kids never to touch a gun or gun parts — in your house or anyone else’s.
• Cases and safes that lock can hold one gun or several. Many come with a combination or key lock. Some new models feature locks that require a fingerprint or palm scan to open.

You can buy locks for older guns or those that didn’t come with locks. Or call your local law enforcement agency. Many police and sheriff’s departments work with Project ChildSafe to provide cable-style gun locks to people who ask for them.

Whether it’s a reckless use of a firearm, or a tragedy caused by a big truck accident, Tauber Law Offices is concerned about your safety. If you believe you have a case that involves negligence causing personal injury, contact us immediately. We will take time to listen to you and will then determine the best course of action. There is never a charge for the initial consultation.

Sources for this blog are from various public documents. Some are noted above.