I’m going to tell you a hard story – but it’s important for you to hear. Andrew’s story is every family member’s worst nightmare.
At 10 years old, Chris was playing at a friend's house when his friend pulled out his father's gun. It was sitting in an unlocked drawer. In a moment, the trigger was pulled, and the bullet went through Chris' upper back, severing his spinal cord.
This terrible accident could have been easily avoided with a simple lock. But, these all too common incidents have made firearms the leading cause of death for children in Pennsylvania.1
So many of you have told me how baffling and frustrating this is. How can we as a society not do everything in our power to keep our kids safe?
Here’s what you can do to help prevent the next tragedy: House Bill 16292 is a bill that would require the safe storage of firearms in homes where children may be present. The American Academy of Pediatrics backs this legislation and it could save countless lives in our Commonwealth. We want a vote on it in 2024. And we need 50 more cosponsors to have a majority of the House on board.
Safe storage legislation has saved lives in more than 26 states already and has been proven to reduce shootings, firearm suicides, and unintentional shootings.3
