INDIANAPOLIS — Three children have been shot in the last 11 days in Indianapolis, all of them hurt because they got their hands on a gun that was not properly secured.
The most recent incident was just this Monday when a four-year-old boy accidentally shot himself. Police say the gun was left out loaded and unsecured and the curious boy picked the gun up and pulled the trigger. Now he’s serious at the hospital.
With so many incidents such as this happening in within the last two weeks, police and firearms experts are urging you to make sure your gun is in a safe place at all-times when you are not using it.
“We hear about these things entirely too frequently,” said Mark Welter, retail manager at Indy Arms Company to WISH-TV. “Kids are naturally curious. ‘What does this do?’ If it moves they are going to move it.”
Welter said less than half the people that come into his store to buy a gun, by some sort of item to safely store it, such as a gun safe, lock box, or even a gun lock that costs less than five dollars.
A cheap lock box goes for about $50.
“It’s a very small investment compared to the cost of a firearm itself,” Welter said.
Welter added that to further ensure your gun is safely stored, don’t hide it. Instead you should talk to your kids and educate them about guns and “take the mystery away.” That way they won’t be overly curious about it.
He also advises to take your child to the gun range when they are old enough and show them how to safely handle gun.
(PHOTO: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
