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Police urge gun safety after two children shot in week
Following two separate accidental shootings involving children in the Atlanta metro area—a two-year-old in Sandy Springs and a four-year-old in Gwinnett County—local law enforcement and firearm experts are urging owners to secure their weapons.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - After two separate shootings involving children under the age of 5, law enforcement officials are urging parents who own guns to make sure they follow best practices.
Why get a lockbox for a gun?
What we know:
Law enforcement agencies in the Atlanta metropolitan area are investigating two separate incidents this week involving unsecured firearms and young children. In Sandy Springs, police said a 2-year-old was shot, resulting in criminal charges against the child’s father. In Gwinnett County, authorities said a 4-year-old accidentally shot themselves in the hand. That child’s mother is also facing charges.
Safety experts and police officials are emphasizing that firearm safety is the primary method for preventing such tragedies. Standard safety protocols include the use of lockboxes, which are available for as little as $20. These devices range from traditional key-entry boxes to advanced biometric systems using fingerprints. Experts also advise that these security measures should extend to vehicles, where aftermarket safes can be installed in center consoles or under seats to prevent unauthorized access.
‘Always treat a gun as if it’s loaded’
What they're saying:
Police and industry experts agree that the responsibility of firearm ownership rests entirely with the adult in the home. Corporal Ryan Winderweedle, a public information officer with the Gwinnett County Police Department, stressed the emotional toll these preventable accidents take on a household.
"No family, and especially parents, want to go through the tragedy of having one of their loved ones or juvenile or teen shot because they were playing with a firearm," Winderweedle said. He urged owners to "have some kind of safe that can be secured and locked, keeping other individuals, especially children and little kids, away from the firearms."
When maintaining a weapon, Winderweedle noted that owners must be certain the device is cleared. "You certainly need to make sure it is unloaded, meaning magazine out of the weapon and racking the slide or moving the round that could possibly be in the chamber," he said. "Remove that so it cannot go off."
Matthew Hagwood, a manager at Venture Outdoors, echoed the sentiment that safety must be the industry's top priority. He noted that owners should never underestimate the resourcefulness or curiosity of a child.
"There’s always the five rules of firearm safety. One of those is always treat a gun as if it’s loaded even when it’s unloaded, so it’s great for the responsible party or adult that’s there to take responsibility and protect youth of tomorrow," Hagwood said. "You should never be going into something assuming that kids cannot reach certain places or certain things. That’s a bad habit when kids are the most curious."
Resources for parents
What you can do:
The ATF has a Youth Handgun Safety Act. Read more at atf.gov/media/25921/download
The Source: Corporal Ryan Winderweedle of the Gwinnett County Police and Matthew Hagwood, a manager at Venture Outdoors, are quoted for this article. The ATF's Youth Handgun Safety Act was cited. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.