Dear Families,
Since 2020, firearms have been the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Firearm-related deaths have risen among children and teens since the pandemic began, increasing by 46% from 2019 to 2022. Also, suicides by firearm have increased over the past decade. In 2022, 43% of all suicide deaths among children and teens involved firearms.* Most of these deaths, as well as many firearm-related injuries, can be prevented through secure firearm storage.
Recently, the Albemarle County School Board passed a resolution directing division staff to work to increase awareness among our students, families and staff about the importance of secure gun storage. Providing our students and staff in Albemarle County Public Schools with a safe educational environment remains our top priority—students cannot learn if they do not feel safe. This resolution aligns with work going on at the Virginia General Assembly, where House Bill No. 498, which requires firearm owners to store weapons and ammunition in a locked container, was recently passed and currently awaits a Virginia Department of Education workgroup that will be directed to create a comprehensive list of the parental rights and responsibilities.
Secure storage means keeping guns unloaded, locked, and stored separately from ammunition. Parents often think that kids don’t know where firearms are kept, or trust that kids won’t touch the firearms unsupervised, but research shows both of these assumptions are usually wrong.
Secure guns in homes AND in vehicles.
Hiding a gun is NOT securing a gun.
Contrary to popular belief, firearms that are stored securely can still be accessed quickly. Some locking devices offer a keypad while others can be opened with the owner’s fingerprint (known as biometric). There are affordable, or even FREE, locks and cases available here in Virginia:
- Order a FREE cable lock, trigger lock, or lock box from Region Ten.
- File the Virginia Firearm Safety Device Tax Credit to receive up to a $300 reimbursement on firearm locks or cases that you purchase. Biometric cases start as low as $80!
Don’t own any firearms? You can still TAKE ACTION to save lives!
- Ask about unsecured guns in other homes your children visit. Helpful scripts are available in English and Spanish.
- Model responsible behavior by teaching kids what to do in the presence of unsecured guns. (Your kids may encounter them when you’re not there.) An age-by-age guide is available in English and Spanish.
- Recognize the uniquely fatal role of guns in suicide. Learn the warning signs, available resources (like text/call/chat 988), and consider temporarily removing guns if you have them.
All students, staff, and community members of ACPS deserve to be and feel safe. Securely storing firearms, and following the practices laid out above, are highly effective actions that everyone can take to help keep our community safe. Thank you!
Remember all of these life-saving principles with the acronym Be SMART:
- Secure all guns in your homes and vehicles;
- Model responsible behavior around guns;
- Ask about unsecured guns in other homes;
- Recognize the role of guns in suicide; and
- Tell your peers to Be SMART.
Resources & References
- Be Smart (website)
- Be Smart Resources (web page)
- White House Safe Storage Fact Sheet (PDF)
- White House Executive Action to Promote Safe Storage of Firearms (web page)
- FREE cable lock, trigger lock, or lock box from Region Ten (web page)
- FREE Safe Storage Devices Request Form (Google Form)
- Firearm Safety Device Tax Credit Guidelines (web page)
*Data sources: The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Adolescents (KFF, Feb 2024) and Child and Teen Firearm Mortality in the U.S. and Peer Countries (KFF, Jul 2023)