The poor behavior and example exhibited by parents and guardians around the country has contributed to the surge in youth firearm-related deaths over the last decade.
Between 2011 and 2021, firearm-related deaths have soared a staggering 87% among Americans below the age of 18, according to the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Many of these incidents are due to the negligent behavior of parents.
Fourteen-year-old Colton Grey, the child who carried out the Apalachee High School shooting, had received the firearm from his father, Colin Grey, who was charged with second-degree murder in the preliminary hearing and acted extremely recklessly, ignoring many warning signs. Colin Grey completely disregarded the safety of others when allowing his son to possess the weapon while not under his supervision, which ultimately led to the death of four people at the school, two of whom were students, according to The New York Times.
Colin Grey’s charges prove he is just as liable as his son. The death of children due to firearms and gross parental negligence is not an uncommon occurrence in America.
On Sept. 4, 2024, an incident occurred in St. Louis, Mo. where a mother left her four children alone while she was at the store. A gun was left in an accessible place for children while she was gone. As a result, her 4-year-old daughter was mistakenly shot and killed by another sibling, according to ABC News.
Although politicians and lobbyist groups such as Giffords and Everytown for Gun Safety are campaigning for change, it is truly up to parents, families and communities to make guns inaccessible to children.
When will it be enough, America? It’s time to protect the next generation and prevent these tragedies by using gun locks, teaching the youth the dangers of firearms and keeping them inaccessible to children through safes, hidden spaces or lockboxes.
