PHOENIX – Today, the Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, both a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, applauded the Phoenix Union High School District for unanimously voting to approve a resolution to require information be sent home with students to educate parents on their responsibility to securely store firearms they own. Parents or guardians will need to sign and return the letter acknowledging they have read the information.
With nearly 30,000 students, the Phoenix Union High School District is the most recent school district to require that secure firearm storage information be sent home with students.
“Reminding families to securely store firearms is a critical step to preventing unauthorized access to guns,” said Marie Thearle, a volunteer leader with the Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “We are so grateful to the Phoenix Union High School District for prioritizing this life-saving resolution and doing everything it can to mitigate the huge safety risks posed by unsecured firearms.”
In the majority of school gun violence incidents involving a shooter under the age of 18, the shooter obtained the gun from home, their relative’s home or from friends. Additionally, over 1000 American children and teens die by firearm suicide each year and over 100 children and teens are unintentionally shot and killed. These numbers suggest that secure storage can be an effective tool in addressing gun violence among children and teens, as well as the source of guns used in school gun violence.
A 2019 study estimated that if half of households with children switched from leaving their guns unlocked to responsibly storing them all locked, one-third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deaths could be prevented – saving an estimated 251 lives in a single year.