Safe Storage Saves Lives

The one common denominator in every firearm injury or death is access to a loaded firearm. The most important action parents, caregivers and gun owners can do to protect children is reduce their access to firearms and safely store all guns.

Remember, simply hiding a gun – even if you think you’ve found a great spot! – is no match for a curious child. Store your firearms unloaded in a safe or with a locking device, with ammunition stored in a separate, secure safe.

Ceasefire Oregon calls on the Oregon legislature to pass a strong, effective law that will encourage gun owners to secure their firearms at all times either on their person (holstered), locked with a cable or trigger lock, or locked in a safe. The ammunition must be stored separately. Oregon passed SB 554B in 2021 but the law does not require firearms to be either on the gun owner’s person (holstered), locked with a cable lock, or locked in a safe.

In 2018, Dr. Emma Hamilton, et al, found, “Weak child access prevention laws, which only impose liability for reckless endangerment, were associated with an increased risk of all pediatric firearm injuries.” Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (2018) Safe storage laws in Washington and Texas include felony penalties. Oregon’s firearm storage law does not include criminal penalties. In fact, a gun owner who failed to secure a firearm that was subsequently used in a shooting is still allowed to purchase and possess firearms–even if that gun owner’s reckless actions caused a death. In 2024, a twelve-year-old student brought a loaded firearm into Pilot Butte Middle School in Bend. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed. The student accessed the firearm at home. The gun-owning parent was cited for improper storage of a firearm which is a violation, lower than a misdemeanor.

In addition to keep young members of your family safe, secure storage prevents crimes from being committed with your gun. An estimated 250,000 firearm theft incidents occur in the US each year resulting in about 380,000 firearms stolen annually. (Johns Hopkins)

Safe storage also helps prevent depressed young people from dying by suicide. Contrary to popular myth, suicide is preventable and is often an impetuous act, especially for teens. Removing a highly-effective method of death – a gun – from the equation reduces the chances of teens in your home ending their own lives. States requiring gun locks see a 68% lower suicide rate compared with states without laws requiring gun locks. ^{1 2}

Lastly, safe storage of your firearms will help keep our schools and communities safe. The teenaged Reynolds High School shooter used his brother’s and father’s guns. The Marysville High School shooter used his father’s gun. Surely their families never imagined their easily-accessed firearms would lead to such devastating outcomes. Securing firearms prevents tragedies.

In Multnomah County, safe firearm storage isn’t just a good idea, it’s the law. Under Multnomah County Ordinance 15.066, “Endangering a Child by Allowing Access to a Firearm”, a person commits the offense of endangering a child if a person fails to prevent access to a loaded or unloaded firearm by a minor without the permission of the person, a parent or guardian, when the person knew or reasonably should have known that a minor could gain access to the firearm. ³