In a refreshing change, a Washington TV station is promoting teaching kids gun safety rather than excoriating exposure to firearms.
From NBC affiliate KDNO:
According to federal statistic, there are guns in roughly half of all Washington households.
If you don’t own one, it’s still likely your child could encounter one. So it’s important for kids to know exactly what to do if they find one.
Kids under the age of 18 aren’t legally allowed to possess a firearm but there are some exceptions and that’s when it’s the parents responsibility to step in.
“I’d encourage parents to make sure that if they do have firearms in the house, they teach their kids not to touch them and to be able to say, there’s a gun here and to tell an adult rather than play with it. And sometimes removing the curiosity helps there too, but that’s an individual decision,” said Kennewick Police Officer Craig Hanson.
Officer Hanson said that if you own a gun and keep it in your home, you should demonstrate to your child how it works. He suggests in a safe area, shooting a water bottle or pumpkin or any other object that displays the impact of a bullet.
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NBC Right Now/KNDO/KNDU Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA |
