OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement after House lawmakers voted to advance common-sense gun safety legislation. The bill advanced, HB 1230, would require school districts to post information about the secure storage of firearms and ammunition.
“This legislation will keep students, teachers, and staff safe from the threat of gun violence,” said Petra Hoy, a volunteer with Washington Moms Demand Action. “Secure storage is an effective way of preventing unintentional shootings, especially at schools. Washington families and our children deserve to feel safe, no matter where they are. We look forward to working with our gun sense champions at the Senate to get this bill through the finish line.”
From 2015 to 2022, there were more than 2,700 unintentional shootings by children in the U.S., resulting in more than 1000 deaths and nearly 1,800 injuries. According to a study of pediatric firearm injuries, nearly 90 percent of unintentional shooting injuries and deaths among children under the age of 15 occur at home. A study on storage practices showed that households that locked both firearms and ammunition had an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teenagers than those that locked neither.
As we await further legislative action on this measure by the Senate and other gun violence prevention bills, Washington Moms Demand Action and Student Demand Action Volunteers will continue to advocate for measures that continue to make Washington a national leader in the fight against gun violence.
Statistics about gun violence in Washington are available here, and Everytown’s Gun Law Rankings – which shows how Washington’s gun laws compare to those of other states – is available here. If you are interested in speaking with a Washington Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action volunteer, please reach out to [email protected].
