WARREN, Mich. – The Warren police are starting a new summer gun safety initiative focused on educating families about Michigan’s safe storage laws.
The initiative is part of an effort to keep kids safe and preventing tragedies before they happen.
Warren police will have free gun locks and education available for it’s residents.
Since 2020 guns are the leading cause of death for children age 1 to 17.
The Oxford High School shooting created push for Michigan’s secure storage law.
The law went into affect in 2024, the law states that guns must be unloaded and locked away if kids are around.
According to the CDC more than 1,200 kids in the country have died in accidental shootings between 2003-2021
In 74% of these shooting the gun was stored and loaded.
In 76% of these shootings, the gun left unlocked.
In 30% of these shootings the gun was kept in a nightstand or around an adult’s sleeping area.
Between 2010 and 2023 about 41% of gun deaths in the country were homicides.
56.9% were deaths of people taking their own life.
The department’s goal is to reduce accidental shootings, keep guns out of the hands of children and prevent gun violence as the summer begins.
Eric Hawkins, Warren Police Commissioner and Lori Stone, Warren Mayor joined Local 4 Live to discuss gun safety and the city’s gun safety initiative.
You can watch the full interview in the video at the beginning of this article.