Unintentional Firearm Injuries, Trauma Center, CHOP Children love to role play. It is not uncommon for kids to play cops and robbers or act out scenes from their favorite action film. Unfortunately, young children can have a hard time distinguishing the difference between real and make-believe. A loaded handgun kept in the home can easily be mistaken for a toy gun, turning an innocent game of cops and robbers deadly.
Firearms are a common household threat for children in the United States.
An estimated 40 percent of all U.S. homes have some type of firearm and one in four homes has a handgun. Each year, more than 180 children ages 14 and under die from unintentional shootings and another 1,500 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for unintentional firearm-related injuries. Make sure your firearms are equipped with gun locks and other safety devices. Gun locks will not allow the gun to be fired. Teach children never to touch a gun and to tell an adult if they find one.