JeffCo Sheriff’s Department urging parents to safely secure guns away from children

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies are urging parents to double check all of their weapons for safety. This comes after a the death of a 12-year-old boy earlier this week from a gunshot wound.

Deputy Chief David Agee said they are asking all gun owners to do more than just hide your firearms. He said places like under your bed or in a nightstand or drawer are not secure, just hidden. He said to be safe, you need a safe and a gun lock that is only able to be removed with a key.

“You cant just hide it, you need to really secure that weapon,” Agee said. “Out of sight is not the same thing as secure.”

Agee said many children have natural curiosities, but it’s important to also tell them the firearm is not a toy and to explain the serious consequences.

“There’s different tension on different triggers,” Agee said. “You can have an accidental discharge by touching it, by dropping it, or by incidental contact, but the consequences of that trigger pulling, whatever is in front of that pathway to that bullet, it could be a vital organ and it could cost a life.”

New data shows that there were 73 trauma gunshot wounds at Children’s Hospital of Alabama last year. There were 82 in 2021.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.