How to keep kids away from guns? Police say think cookies and Christmas presents

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Days after a two-year-old boy got his hands on a man's unsecured gun and shot him in back, Chesterfield Police are urging residents to make sure their firearms are safely stored.

"Little ones find things, so it’s important to keep things locked up, keep things secured,” Chesterfield Police Corporal Craig Eckrich said.

According to Chesterfield Police, the gun used in Monday’s shooting was left on a chair when the child grabbed it and shot his mother’s boyfriend once in the back. The man was flown to the hospital for treatment. At this time police have made have no updates in the investigation or the condition of the man.

It’s a scenario that Ekrich called completely preventable.

One common method is the use of a trigger lock which can separate and be fastened around a trigger to prevent it from being used when relocked.

“Gun safes are an option, trigger locks, there’s cable locks, there are different means of storing a firearm and keeping it safe,” said Ekrich. “If there is a firearm in your house always be cognizant where it is, where the little one is, always have that awareness never take anything for granted.”

Ekrich said one of the most responsible things a gun owner can do is to exercise safe storing practices. He added firearms should not be kept alone in a vehicle when the owner isn’t present.

"There is no reason for a gun to be secured in your car alone even if it’s in a trunk and you think it’s safe,” said Ekrich. “We have about a hundred guns that are stolen out of cars every year in Chesterfield and that’s a lot of guns we lose track of that are on the streets, potentially in the hands of very bad people.”

Ekrich said there is also a legal incentive that gun owning Virginians with juvenile children should keep in mind.

“It is illegal to leave a firearm unattended and accessible to a minor under the age of 14 resulting in bodily injury or harm to somebody else,” said Ekrich.

That legal statute is Code Section 18.2-56.2. According to Virginia law, any person violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, which can be punishable by confinement in jail for not more than 12 months and/or a possible fine of up to $2,500.

“Think about how many times a pack of cookies is safe from a little one, or a Christmas present in a closet that’s put away and we come home and a little one has gotten in to it,” said Ekrich. “Treat your weapon as you would any other potential household hazard.”

If you lack the means to store a gun safely, Chesterfield County Police does have a program where they will provide these trigger locks free of charge. You call Chesterfield Police’s Community Engagement unit at 804-318-8699 to acquire one.

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