Does Gov. Glenn Youngkin truly prioritize the safety of our children? Clearly, he does not when he ignored a crucial opportunity. Gov. Youngkin had the chance to sign a bill that many might call a no-brainer. A bill with rigorous research to support it and widespread public support. A bill solving a problem that we’ve already seen play out in Virginia too many times. A bill that would require the safe and secure storage of firearms to keep them out of the wrong hands. A bill that Gov. Youngkin just vetoed.
Safeguarding our children’s lives should not be political.
Senate Bill 368/House Bill 183 offers a straightforward solution to the escalating epidemic of firearm deaths among children: Firearms must be securely locked and unloaded when children or prohibited individuals are present in the home. This requirement extends beyond the home of parents, encompassing neighbors, relatives and friends who own firearms.
People are also reading…
The bill also emphasized public education, with firearm dealers mandated to display notices outlining the new regulations. These measures not only prevent deadly accidents but also introduce crucial barriers to impulsive firearm use, potentially averting other tragic outcomes such as gun suicide, which account for more than half of gun deaths in the commonwealth.
This shouldn’t be about scoring political points; it’s about safeguarding lives and ensuring responsible gun ownership.
Consider the terrifying incident just last year when a 6-year-old shot a teacher in Newport News. That child found his mother’s firearm, brought it to school and shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, in the hand and chest. Zwerner is lucky to be alive, although she says she now carries the physical and psychological scars so many shooting victims are forced to live with in this country. We’re lucky no children were injured or killed during that incident. Shockingly, allowing a minor access to a firearm is only a misdemeanor under state law. The mother wound up pleading guilty to felony child neglect — she was sentenced to two years — but the gun charges were left to federal prosecutors.
It’s no surprise that dangerous behavior comes from careless firearm storage. Research shows 80% of school shooters under the age of 18 used a firearm from their own home or the house of a relative or friend. Moreover, data underscores the link between unlocked, loaded firearms at home and youth suicides — a connection that underscores the urgency of regulated safe storage. Secured firearms would have saved lives. This bill would have helped ensure those intent on committing harm to self or others don’t have the means.
When looking at safe storage policies, we can draw parallels to other successful public health interventions. Look at the countless lives saved and injuries prevented by mandating car seats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that car seats saved the lives of 325 children under the age of 5 in 2017. They estimate booster seats lead to 45% fewer injuries among children 4 to 8 years old.
Now children’s car seats are a part of everyday life, but only after all states passed laws to require their usage. We don’t think twice before buckling our little ones in before driving off. Safe firearm storage should be second nature for gun owners, especially when children are present.
Gun violence, not car crashes, is the No. 1 cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. and here in the commonwealth. Safe and secure storage is an easy step we can take to help change that. According to a national survey from my colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, 55% of gun owners with children in the home do not practice proper safe firearm storage. The same survey found 72% of Americans support laws that require a person to lock up the guns in their home when not in use. Stronger laws will help increase firearm safety and public health.
Virginians should not have to wait for a governor who respects public health and safety for this evidence-based legislation to pass. How many more families will be devastated by gun violence while we wait? Gov. Youngkin, that is on your hands.
Correction: Earlier print and online versions of this column incorrectly stated that prosecutors had no recourse to file state charges against the mother of the 6-year-old who shot a Newport News teacher. The mother, Deja Taylor, pleaded guilty to federal gun charges and state felony child neglect.Â
Lori Haas is the advocacy manager for the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. After her daughter Emily was shot twice and survived the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, Haas became a national leader in gun violence prevention efforts. Contact her at lhaas9@jhmi.edu.