#NotAnAccident Index Reveals There Have Been at Least 158 Unintentional Shootings by Children Nationwide This Year, Resulting in 61 Deaths and 100 Injuries
Be SMART Program Outlines Steps Adults Can Take to Keep Guns Out of the Hands of Children
FARMINGTON, Wis. – The Wisconsin chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today issued the following statement in response to reports that a 15-year-old boy was unintentionally shot and killed by his 17-year-old friend after the two friends were examining a collection of rifles in the town of Farmington this week.
Adults, gun owners and non-gun owners alike can help prevent unintentional shootings and suicides by children by following the steps laid out in Moms Demand Action’s Be SMART Program.
STATEMENT FROM CHRISTINA KRASOVICH, VOLUNTEER CHAPTER LEADER WITH THE WISCONSIN CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“This week, yet another community in Wisconsin experienced the trauma that comes with senseless gun violence after a 15-year-old boy was unintentionally shot and killed. Although details are unfolding, this shooting is a reminder that we have to do more to prevent unintentional shootings and unauthorized gun access by children. These tragic events are not accidents, and as the Moms Demand Action’s Be SMART program teaches us, unintentional shootings by children are almost entirely preventable. Together, gun owners and non-gun owners alike can encourage responsible firearm storage to reduce the number of unintentional shootings and suicides by children that occur when children or teens get ahold of a gun.”