Ohio Lawmakers Push Safe Gun Storage as Child Shooting Deaths Rise
A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers is calling for action to prevent children from dying in accidental shootings, but not through regulation. Instead, House Resolution 148 urges gun owners to safely store their firearms as a matter of responsibility and protection, not law.
Democratic Rep. Darnell Brewer of Cleveland and Republican Rep. Kelly Deeter of Norwalk introduced the resolution after a string of heartbreaking incidents across the state: a 10-year-old shot in the face in Akron, a 14-year-old killed in Cleveland, a 15-year-old wounded in Elyria, and a 1-year-old who needed surgery after a teen accidentally fired a gun.
“These are the kinds of tragedies that make us stop and say, ‘We have to do something,’” Brewer said. “We can honor the Second Amendment while still encouraging people to store their guns safely.”
While the resolution encourages safe storage and community awareness, it offers no funding for cities or organizations to run education or prevention campaigns.
Still, some municipalities have taken initiative. Cincinnati allows gun owners to store their firearms at police stations temporarily. Columbus has distributed free gun locks and passed a safe storage ordinance, now under review by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein applauded the resolution but called for real legislative change. “Ohioans want and support reasonable gun laws that protect families and children,” he said. “Safe storage saves lives, but real change requires lawmakers to act.”
Gun safety advocates, including Moms Demand Action, are pushing for stronger measures such as mandatory lock-up laws, red flag provisions, and universal background checks.
Brewer supports these efforts but acknowledges that in a Republican-controlled legislature, progress is slow. “This is a small step,” he said. “Hopefully, it moves hearts and minds.”
Governor Mike DeWine has voiced support for safe storage in principle, but has signed every bill loosening gun restrictions since taking office. After recent school shootings, DeWine said he has “tried some different things” but noted that legislative action is needed.
Across Ohio, cities are taking symbolic steps, Cleveland lights up Tower City orange for National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and schools hold pledge events where children promise to never handle firearms unsafely. More than 1,000 children signed the pledge last year in Cleveland alone.
But without state funding or enforceable standards, advocates warn these efforts only scratch the surface of a deeper crisis.
Every unlocked gun in reach of a child is a tragedy waiting to happen. Every resolution without enforcement is a promise half-kept.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the inherent right to life, and governments have a duty to ensure their survival and development. Safe gun storage isn’t just common sense, it’s a moral and legal obligation to protect that right.
