Moms Demand Action, Everytown Applaud the Unanimous Passage of Resolution to Require San Diego Schools to Send Information Home About Secure Firearms Storage

Today, the California chapter of Moms Demand Action, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement after the San Diego Unified School District voted unanimously to approve a resolution to require information be sent home with students to educate parents on their responsibility to securely store firearms they own. 

“It’s critical that families know the dangers of leaving firearms unsecured in the home,” said Wendy Wheatcroft, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “This resolution not only helps keep our children safe, but also helps prevent unintentional shootings in San Diego. We are thrilled to hear of its unanimous passage and thank San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott and the San Diego Unified School District for taking the necessary steps to keep our families safe.”

With more than 120,000 students, the San Diego Unified School District is the most recent large school system to require that secure firearm storage information be sent home with students.

Local San Diego gun violence prevention groups, including Moms Demand Action, Brady: United Against Gun Violence, and San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention, have been working together to advocate for secure storage awareness.

The vote comes on the heels of other school systems in Los Angeles, Denver, and Phoenix passing similar resolutions within the last few months. A recent NBC News story detailed the efforts of Moms Demand Action volunteers helping pass secure storage resolutions in school districts around the country.

Secure firearm storage can help prevent unintentional shootings, firearm suicides, and school shootings among American youth. 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.