TAMPA, Fla. — In the last few days, there were two separate incidents of children unintentionally firing a gun, injuring either themselves or others in the Tampa Bay region. In both cases, the adults present were charged with child negligence.
Anyone who has a gun in their home, kids could potentially stumble upon one and what they do when that happens could make a difference in saving a life.
"If a gun was loaded, it's simple to have the firearm discharged," Timothy Jones, owner of Gun Craft Inc., said.
Jones' business is located in Ruskin and said every time he sells a firearm, he encourages his customers to sign up for a gun safety class.
While gun sales have increased across the country, fewer people are taking safety courses in the Tampa Bay region, according to a gun safety instructor.
"The student ratio for taking safety classes has dropped off anywhere from 25-30 percent over the last two years," Bert Winfield said.
Winfield has been teaching gun safety for nearly 20 years. When parents take his class, he said that he recommends they share their knowledge with their kids so they know what to do and what not to do if they find a gun.
"It's our responsibility to take that extra second to secure it and teach our children about what it is, what it does and why we don't want them playing with it until a certain age," Winfield said.
Jones said guns should always be safely stored. If someone is worried about needing their gun at a moment's notice, there are options for that too.
"It's as simple as pressing the button, typing in your code, unlocking the slaps and opening it up," Jones demonstrated with a gun vault he carries in his car.
Knowing and teaching kids gun safety can not only keep peolpe safe, but it also prevents anyone from facing charges if a tragedy were to occur. If a child unintentionally causes harm to themself or others with a firearm, the adult present could face child neglect and improper storage of firearm charges.
According to EveryTown, in 2022, there were at least 12 unintentional shootings by children in Florida, resulting in five deaths and nine injuries. Nationally, there were at least 181 unintentional shootings by children, resulting in 77 deaths and 115 injuries.