COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Council on Monday announced a joint initiative with the Columbus Division of Police, Division of Fire and Columbus Public Health to distribute 5,000 gun locks to residents.
The “Love Our Children, Lock Your Guns” initiative aims to decrease theft crimes and the chance of children getting a hold of their parent or guardian’s firearm.
"We are all aware that the number of gun-related incidents among young people has increased," said Councilmember Mitchell J. Brown. "In the last year, there were several incidences of children being injured by another child due to the improper handling of a firearm."
In March, a young boy found his father’s firearm on their couch and shot it off in the house. The father, Matthew Rivas, pleaded guilty to charges relating to storing a firearm and endangering a child.
A recent study by Nationwide Children’s Hospital shows that 92% of the firearms used in accidental youth shootings were stored loaded and unlocked. Children ages 1-19 are the main victims of this trend.
City leaders say 99 people in the city were killed in the first half of 2021, with 92.1% of those deaths being from gun violence. Leaders added that over 30% of the victims and suspects were under the age of 22.
“With a gun lock or box, you can rest easy knowing that your gun is securely locked away, but easily accessible in case of an emergency,” said Councilmember Emmanuel Remy, chair of the Public Safety Committee. “Knowing your guns are properly secured will provide you peace of mind knowing that our children are safe at home.”
"This is a proactive step to changing the narrative of young people continuing to injure and killing other young people with firearms," said Brown. "We are in a race to stop this tragedy from recurring again. Love our children; lock your gun."
The gun locks are free and available to all Columbus residents. They can be picked up at all Columbus fire stations between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
You can find more information about the gun safety initiative by clicking here.