No matter what side of the political fence you stand on, nobody wants to see a child injured or killed with a firearm. As a pediatrician in Utah County, I have witnessed this firsthand and feel the need to do everything I can to help strengthen my community and keep the children of Utah safe. As we mourn the heartbreaking loss of those in the church shooting in Minnesota, I hope we take a moment to reflect on what each of us can do to help keep Utah children safe from firearm violence.
How many children are exposed to firearms in America?
Guns are prevalent in the United States, with nearly 100 million more firearms than there are people. Nearly 1/3 of U.S. children live in a home with a firearm, and of these, nearly half contain an unlocked firearm. The fact is that U.S. children are exposed to firearms and have access to them — increasing the risk that kids will find them and use them, either on purpose or accidentally.
How are children dying from firearms?
Tragically, firearms have been the No. 1 cause of death of American children and adolescents since 2020, with an average of seven child deaths every day. Most firearm deaths are due to homicide (2/3) and suicide (1/4), and 1 in 20 child deaths by firearm are completely accidental.
Even though accidental deaths are less common, Utah has seen several of these deaths recently, including an 8-year-old in Lehi who found his parent’s gun in the car while at a gas station and a 5-year-old in Santaquin who found a gun in his parents’ bedroom. A separate harrowing example involved a 2-year-old who was hit in the head by a stray bullet while playing at daycare but fortunately survived.
Regardless of the mode of death, many of these firearm deaths are preventable, and we can do something about it.
What can we do to prevent child firearm deaths?
Preventing childhood firearm deaths must be a community priority. There are many evidence-based, actionable means to prevent firearm deaths, some of which are described below:
Provide barriers to firearm access in the home. The harder it is to access a firearm and discharge it, the less likely firearm deaths will occur. The most important way to do this is to practice safe storage.
There are 2 principles of safe storage: 1) store the firearm unloaded and locked, and 2) store the ammunition locked and separate from the firearm. Doing this reduces the risk of self-inflicted firearm injury by 78% and accidental firearm injury by 85%.
For those struggling with depression, substance abuse or suicidal thoughts, firearms can also be temporarily stored with a trusted family member or friend. Under Utah’s Safe Harbor law (53-5c-201), a gun owner or spouse can store their firearms with law enforcement for free.
Educate young children about firearms. Have regular conversations with children about firearm safety and to treat firearms with respect. Tell young children to never touch a gun if they see one, and if someone ever shows them a gun to tell a grown-up right away.
Ask about firearms. Before your child visits the home of a friend or relative, you can ask, “Is there an unlocked firearm in your home?” This question can help protect your child while also encouraging others to store firearms safely.
Encourage legislation that will help protect Utah children. States with safer firearm legislation have fewer firearm deaths. As Utahns, we can choose to elect leaders that will help make Utah children safer through improved firearm legislation.
Which laws could Utah legislators pass to reduce child firearm deaths?
Numerous laws exist that have been shown to reduce child firearm deaths — a summary of some of them is below.
- Secure storage laws: Laws requiring safe storage help reduce firearm deaths by increasing the chance that people safely store their firearms.
- Child access prevention laws: These laws help reduce firearm deaths by holding adults liable if a child accesses a firearm that is not stored properly.
- Firearm purchaser licensing: Like requiring a driver’s license to drive a car, these laws would require gun buyers to apply for a license, pass a background check and do safety training prior to purchasing a firearm.
- Waiting period laws: These laws require people to wait a certain amount of time after they purchase a firearm before they can receive it. This helps prevent impulsive acts like suicide and acts of violence.
- Mental health service funding: Laws that create and support timely access to mental health services for both children and adults can help reduce suicide rates and violent acts.
- Extreme risk protection orders: Also known as “red flag laws,” these laws allow for the temporary removal of firearms from people that are at an imminent risk of harming themselves or others.
- Regulating public carrying of firearms: When people are allowed to carry firearms in public with permissive concealed carry laws, violence rates increase. Open carrying should not be allowed, and concealed carrying licenses should be allowed only to those who undergo rigorous safety training and have no violent history.
Conclusion
Too many children in the U.S. have been injured or killed by firearms, and it remains the No. 1 cause of death among children and teenagers. As a pediatrician who has witnessed the devastation firearm injury can cause children and families, I plead with each Utahn to put aside our differences and consider ways we can work together to reduce these unnecessary child deaths in our communities.
More information and resources can be found at https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Handguns-in-the-Home.aspx.