Bexar County Launches First-Of-Its-Kind Gun Safety Bus Ads

Moms Demand Action Created the Be SMART Campaign to Raise Awareness of Secure Firearm Storage

Buses Advertising Be SMART Campaign Are Now Circulating San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today applauded the launch of a landmark gun violence prevention initiative in Bexar County. VIA Metropolitan Transit has contributed $40,000 to advertise Be SMART, a secure gun storage campaign created by Moms Demand Action, on its buses. Texas Moms Demand Action volunteers attended today’s launch. 

“It takes a village to keep children safe from gun violence — and that starts with making sure gun owners and non-gun owners alike understand the importance of secure firearm storage,” said Danna Halff, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Every time we see these buses drive by, we’ll be grateful to our leaders in Bexar County for making gun safety a priority.” 

The buses are one of six gun violence prevention initiatives announced in September by Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and VIA Metropolitan Transit. The initiatives also include an effort to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. 

According to the #NotAnAccident Index, which tracks unintentional shootings by children since 2015, nearly 350 American children under the age of 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else each year. An overwhelming majority of unintentional shootings by children could have been prevented had the gun been stored securely. To address this safety issue, volunteers with Moms Demand Action use the Be SMART program to train community members on the simple steps everyone can take to keep children safe by keeping guns securely stored.