The Utah Legislature should take the opportunity to address youth suicide and youth violence by passing HB132 Fire Arm Storage sponsored by Rep. Andrew Stoddard. This bill would hold an adult accountable if they fail to securely store a firearm in their own home, in circumstances where a minor is likely to gain access to it, and the minor does unlawfully use the firearm or exhibit it in a public place.
Requiring secure storage of firearms will have many benefits. It is probably the most effective way to prevent school shootings. The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center studied school shootings from 2008-17 and reports that 76% of school shooters acquired their weapons at home or from a relative and, in most cases, it was not secured in a meaningful way.
Secure storage might have prevented the tragic incident that occurred last year in Tooele where a nine-year-old child accessed a gun and killed his father. In Utah, the health department reports that the majority of deaths from firearms involve a firearm that was stored loaded (62.4%) and unlocked (57.7%).
Secure storage of firearms might have prevented the accidental shootings this summer where three Utah children ages 2 to 8 shot themselves and two died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that from 2003 to 2021, unintentional injury was the top cause of death among U.S. children ages 1 to 17, with 1,262 deaths. Firearms were the leading method. Firearms used in unintentional injury deaths were often stored loaded (74%) and unlocked (76%) and were most commonly accessed from nightstands and other sleeping areas (30%), the CDC report.
This bill will also address the serious problem of suicide in Utah. Suicide is the leading cause of death to our children and youth ages 10 to 24, according to the Utah Department of Health. More than 80% of firearm deaths are suicides with over 600 Utahns dying by suicide each year. In 2022, there were 382 gun suicides in Utah.
The American Academy of Pediatrics states: “Given the high lethality of firearms and the impulsivity associated with suicidal ideation, removing firearms from the home or securely storing them — referred to as lethal means restriction of firearms — is critical, especially for youth at risk for suicide.”
Safely securing our guns will also prevent gun theft and prevent criminals from accessing guns. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) published its first report in 20 years regarding gun crime in the USA. They report over 1 million guns stolen over the five-year period from 2017-21, most from private owners and increasingly from vehicles. Stolen weapons are usually diverted into an underground market for criminals to access, according to ATF.
Firearm experts recommend secure storage, as well.
The National Rifle Association says “store guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons” and “always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.”
The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “Project Child Safe” states: “Be a Responsible Firearm Owner. Secure storage is the #1 way to help prevent firearm accidents, thefts and misuse, and plays an important role in suicide prevention.”
In a public service announcement for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, firearms instructor Clark Aposhian says, “If you have kids in your home, it’s best to keep firearms locked up.”
Utah foster parents and child care providers are required to lock up their firearms, per Utah codes R. 501-12-7(5) and R. 430-90-13(12).
We call on our law makers to do the simple, straightforward thing and take a public health approach to gun violence. To prevent accidents, suicides, school shootings and thefts — hold adults accountable if they fail to lock up their fire arms to keep them away from our children.
(Linda F. Smith) Linda F. Smith is a professor emerita at The University of Utah College of Law.
Linda F. Smith is a professor emerita at The University of Utah College of Law. She writes this on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Utah and of Salt Lake. The following people have also signed on to this op-ed:
The Gun Safety Prevention Coalition of Utah
The National Alliance on Mental Health Utah
Dr. Katie Russell, a pediatric trauma surgeon
Rev. Dr. Curtis Price, Pastor First Baptist Church
Shauna Bona
Dee Rowland
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