COLUMBUS, Ohio-A recent CDC study across eight states including Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oklahoma, revealed that a significant number of gun owners with children under 17 keep their firearms loaded and unlocked. Gun ownership rates varied widely among these states, from 18.4% in California to 50.6% in Alaska. Across states, between 19.5% and 43.2% of gun owners keep their guns loaded, with those having children slightly less likely to do so than those without.
The study highlighted that in all but one state, a majority of gun owners who keep their firearms loaded also leave them unlocked. Researchers underscored that secure firearm storage could reduce firearm-related injuries, especially among children and youth, suggesting tailored strategies at state and local levels to mitigate risks. The data was sourced from the 2021 and 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, reinforcing concerns about unintentional firearm injuries, which were a leading cause of death among children per previous CDC findings.
