The California chapter of Moms Demand Action, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement after the Burbank Unified School District voted unanimously during a virtual school board meeting on Thursday to require information be sent home with students at the beginning of each school year to educate parents on their responsibility to securely store firearms they own.
“As adults, we’re responsible for keeping kids safe,” said Jessica Stamen, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We’re proud to see the Burbank Unified School District prioritize gun safety and help raise awareness of secure storage practices. Even as schools are closed, the district is still taking action to protect our students.”
The virtual vote comes as other school systems in Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, and Phoenix passed similar resolutions within the last few months. An NBC News story detailed the efforts of Moms Demand Action volunteers helping pass secure storage resolutions in school districts around the country.
In the majority of school gun violence incidents involving a shooter under the age of 18, the shooter obtained the gun from home, their relative’s home, or from friends. Additionally, over 1000 American children and teens die by firearm suicide each year, and over 100 children and teens are unintentionally shot and killed. These numbers suggest that secure storage can be an effective tool in addressing gun violence among children and teens, as well as the source of guns used in school gun violence.
A 2019 study estimated that if half of households with children switched from leaving their guns unlocked to responsibly storing them all locked, one-third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deaths could be prevented – saving an estimated 251 lives in a single year.
