As children spend more time at home during school breaks, the risk of unintentional gun injuries increases if firearms are not safely stored, according to Eric Gonzalez, Program Coordinator for the Center for Community Health at Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth.
“Hiding a gun under a mattress, in the closet, or on a high shelf is not safe storage,” Gonzalez explains. “Guns must be stored unloaded and locked away outside the reach of a child or teen.”
Gonzalez adds that safe storage can greatly contribute to reducing unauthorized use of firearms and gun violence among our youth.
Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth treated 40 gun-related injuries in fiscal year 2025 (October–September). During the fiscal year 2024, Cook Children treated 62 gun-related injuries…