The Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, today responded to a letter from the Texas Freedom Caucus to the Governor’s EMS Trauma Advisory Council (GETAC) opposing a potential “recommendation requiring the Texas medical community to engage patients and families in conversation on gun storage practices.”
“The Texas Freedom Caucus is trying to bully medical professionals and prevent them from taking very basic steps that would save the lives of children and those who wish to do themselves harm,” said Theresa P. Dang, M.D., a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “There is literally no downside to discussing secure storage with patients, but the Texas Freedom Caucus would rather repeat tired talking points than keep people safe.”
According to the Everytown Research #NotAnAccident Index, which tracks media reports of unintentional shootings, there have been at least 21 unintentional shootings by children in 2020 in Texas, resulting in 9 deaths and 13 injuries.
Research shows that secure storage saves lives. One study found that households that locked both firearms and ammunition were associated with a 78 percent lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens, compared to those that locked neither. Another estimated that if half of households with children that have at least one unlocked gun switched to locking all their guns, one-third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deaths could be prevented, saving an estimated 251 lives in a single year.