In response to yesterday’s reported shooting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a three-year-old toddler shot his father and eight-months-pregnant mother after reaching for an iPad and firing an unsecured handgun, the New Mexico chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America released the following statement from volunteer Patricia Good:
“Shootings like the one in an Albuquerque motel room this weekend happen far too often in America. When adults are negligent with a firearm, children can and do access and shoot the gun—and the results are often tragic. Although the details of the incident in New Mexico are still unfolding, the negligence of these parents put their lives and the lives of their two, soon-to-be three, young children at serious risk. With rights come responsibilities, and when it comes to kids and guns, the onus should always be on adults to be the responsible party. To be clear—child access to guns is preventable. Practicing responsible storage of firearms and talking to friends and family about gun safety is critical to ensuring our children don’t become the perpetrator or victims of gun violence.”
An analysis of child access to guns by Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, “Innocents Lost: A Year of Unintentional Child Gun Deaths”, found that:
- More than two million American children live in homes with unsecured guns—1.7 million of those are loaded and unlocked.
- Toddlers age 2-4 have the highest risk of unintentionally shooting themselves.
- Nearly two children are killed in unintentional shootings each week, 61 percent higher than federal data reflect.
- About two-thirds of these unintended deaths — 65 percent — took place in a home or vehicle that belonged to the victim’s family, most often with guns that were legally owned but not secured.
- More than two-thirds of these tragedies could be avoided if gun owners stored their guns responsibly and prevented children from accessing them.
About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement of American mothers fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action campaigns for new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families. Since its inception after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than 2.5 million members and more than 40,000 donors. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction or on Twitter at @MomsDemand