While most gun owners take their responsibility of gun ownership seriously, too often firearms are not securely stored, leading children or others who should not be able to access firearms to gain access — often with deadly consequences.
How often do we hear a news segment about a child who gained access to an unsecured gun, shooting themselves or a friend? How often do we hear about a community member dying from a gunshot wound because a gun was left unsecured and stolen from a home or car? A survey by researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health found that 54% of gun owners do not safely store their firearms, and additional research from Everytown for Gun Safety shows that 4.6 million children in the U.S. live in a home with at least one unlocked and loaded firearm.
Requiring secure storage of firearms is a common sense policy that will reduce gun violence and save lives. As a gun violence prevention advocate, I spend my time advocating for secure gun storage through programs like Be SMART that educate community members about the importance of secure gun storage, and partner with schools, medical providers and law enforcement to ensure this important safety message is shared. But, make no mistake, while we absolutely need community education programs like Be SMART, there is no question that we need a strong secure storage law in every state across America.
Current Minnesota law requires secure storage “where the person knows, or reasonably should know, that a child is likely to gain access” to a firearm. While this is a good minimal requirement, there are critical loopholes that need to be addressed. Right now, Minnesota law does nothing to address unsecured firearms and the problems of gun theft and access by persons prohibited from possessing them.
A measure before the Legislature would strengthen current law by requiring that a firearm be securely stored when it is not under the control of its owner, irrespective of the presence of a child. This broader bill would reinforce secure storage protections for children.
There are too many cases where children gain access to a firearm, and tragedy results, like the case where a St. Paul 2-year-old was left with an unsecured, loaded gun and fatally shot himself. Secure storage is effective, and we have the research to back it up. One study found that locking both firearms and ammunition was associated with an 85% lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens.
In addition to protecting children, this legislation would also help prevent access by adults who are prohibited from possessing firearms. At a hearing before the Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee last month, family members shared heartbreaking cases where unsecured firearms contributed to the deaths of their loved ones.
In May 2023, Hilary Brasel’s husband, Michael, was murdered in front of the family’s St. Paul home, a crime witnessed by her and their two sons, with a gun stolen from an unsecured closet. “I urge you to support the legislation,” Hilary Brasel pleaded. “I believe the proper storage of guns could have prevented Michael’s murder and can prevent this type of tragedy.”
In October 2007 in Savage, a 19-year-old man killed Rolf Olson’s daughter with a pistol kept unsecured in the dresser drawer of the shooter’s father: “Had that pistol been properly stored,” Olson noted, “it’s quite likely that my daughter would still be alive.”
I have seen the pain of gun violence up close after watching my dear friends grieve the loss of their mother, who was shot by someone who never should have had access to a firearm in the first place. Too many of us know all too well the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence, whether it’s a child that unintentionally shoots themselves or a friend, or someone who experiences the deadly repercussions of unsecured and stolen firearms falling into dangerous hands.
This is a strong public safety bill that should earn the support of legislators on both sides of the aisle, and I urge the Minnesota House and Senate to pass it.
Erin Zamoff, of Edina, is a Be SMART volunteer and former state chapter leader for Moms Demand Action MN.
