B004 Commending Safe Gun Storage
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Gun Violence Solutions reports that more than half of all U.S. gun owners store firearms unlocked. Safely storing firearms can reduce gun injuries and deaths, especially suicides, deaths of children and youth, and unintentional shootings. Churches can play a key role in helping gun owners to secure their firearms in a safe manner. This resolution is supported by Bishops United Against Gun Violence.
Safe storage is affordable and effective. Everytown For Gun Safety cites two studies: One study found that households that lock firearms and ammunition were associated with a 78% lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85% percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens. The second study estimated that if households with guns switched to locking all of their guns, one-third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deaths could be prevented.
Preventing suicides through safe storage is essential to reducing gun violence. Suicides account for the majority of gun deaths in the United States, and in 2022, 26,993 people died by gun suicide - an all-time high since the Centers for Disease Control began recording data in 1968.
Safe storage is also essential to curb the rising tide of gun deaths among children and youth. The Center for Gun Violence solutions reports that guns remained the leading cause of death for children and teens in 2022, the last year for which comprehensive data is available. KFF, a leading health policy research organization, reports that of the 2,543 child and adolescent firearm deaths in 2022, 27% were due to suicides and 5% were accidental.
Safe storage can also help curb gun violence that impacts children and teens of color disproportionately. KFF reports that in 2022, the rate of firearm deaths among Black youth was substantially higher than any other racial and ethnic group and six times higher than white youth. From 2018 to 2022, firearm death rates of Black youth doubled and rates among American Indian and Alaska Native youth were also higher than the rates of white, Asian and Hispanic youth although, during this period, firearm death rates among Hispanic youth increased by 73%.
Unsecured guns are also at risk of theft; Everytown for Gun Safety reports that each year, an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 guns are stolen. Many are funneled into the underground market, which disproportionately fuels gun violence that affects communities of color.
Safely storing firearms makes sense and is an easy and proven way to reduce gun deaths.
Resources:
University of Michigan National Center for School Safety: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/safe_storage_fact_sheet.pdf
Guide to Secure Gun Storage Devices:
https://everytownsupportfund.org/guide-to-secure-gun-storage-devices/
Be SMART: https://besmartforkids.org/
Ethan’s Law:
https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/01312023ethans_lawonepager.pdf
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/748/all-actions
Note: this resolution and/or its explanation contains external references, such as URLs of websites, that may not be in the required languages of General Convention. Because of copyright restrictions, the General Convention cannot provide translations. However, your web browser may be able to provide a machine translation into another language. If you need assistance with this, please contact gc.support@episcopalchurch.org.
Explanation
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Gun Violence Solutions reports that more than half of all U.S. gun owners store firearms unlocked. Safely storing firearms can reduce gun injuries and deaths, especially suicides, deaths of children and youth, and unintentional shootings. Churches can play a key role in helping gun owners to secure their firearms in a safe manner. This resolution is supported by Bishops United Against Gun Violence.
Safe storage is affordable and effective. Everytown For Gun Safety cites two studies: One study found that households that lock firearms and ammunition were associated with a 78% lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85% percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens. The second study estimated that if households with guns switched to locking all of their guns, one-third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deaths could be prevented.
Preventing suicides through safe storage is essential to reducing gun violence. Suicides account for the majority of gun deaths in the United States, and in 2022, 26,993 people died by gun suicide - an all-time high since the Centers for Disease Control began recording data in 1968.
Safe storage is also essential to curb the rising tide of gun deaths among children and youth. The Center for Gun Violence solutions reports that guns remained the leading cause of death for children and teens in 2022, the last year for which comprehensive data is available. KFF, a leading health policy research organization, reports that of the 2,543 child and adolescent firearm deaths in 2022, 27% were due to suicides and 5% were accidental.
Safe storage can also help curb gun violence that impacts children and teens of color disproportionately. KFF reports that in 2022, the rate of firearm deaths among Black youth was substantially higher than any other racial and ethnic group and six times higher than white youth. From 2018 to 2022, firearm death rates of Black youth doubled and rates among American Indian and Alaska Native youth were also higher than the rates of white, Asian and Hispanic youth although, during this period, firearm death rates among Hispanic youth increased by 73%.
Unsecured guns are also at risk of theft; Everytown for Gun Safety reports that each year, an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 guns are stolen. Many are funneled into the underground market, which disproportionately fuels gun violence that affects communities of color.
Safely storing firearms makes sense and is an easy and proven way to reduce gun deaths.
Resources:
University of Michigan National Center for School Safety: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/safe_storage_fact_sheet.pdf
Guide to Secure Gun Storage Devices:
https://everytownsupportfund.org/guide-to-secure-gun-storage-devices/
Be SMART: https://besmartforkids.org/
Ethan’s Law:
https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/01312023ethans_lawonepager.pdf
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/748/all-actions
Note: this resolution and/or its explanation contains external references, such as URLs of websites, that may not be in the required languages of General Convention. Because of copyright restrictions, the General Convention cannot provide translations. However, your web browser may be able to provide a machine translation into another language. If you need assistance with this, please contact gc.support@episcopalchurch.org.