SAN ANTONIO — According to USA Today, 73 kids died from unintentional shootings in 2018 nationwide, which equates to more than one child a week. A joint investigation by USA Today and the Associated Press found that from 2014-2016, half of the cases of kids’ gun deaths resulted in criminal charges.
Laws to punish adults who fail to properly secure their weapons remains a hotly debated issue in states. But these cases of accidental shootings is a sobering reminder of responsible gun ownership.
KENS 5 spoke with Dury's Gun Shop, one of the largest and longstanding gun store in San Antonio. Johnny Dury said he taught his sons to respect firearms. He shared how they would go shoot large pieces of fruit to see the devastation that a gun left behind. Dury shared how he made sure his boys never even pointed toy guns at each other or at other people.
“I said, 'go get me a hammer,' and I sent him to the barn to go get me a hammer. I crushed up that [toy] gun with a hammer in 100 pieces and told him to go get a trash can and go pick up your gun, because we're not going to have that in my house,” Dury continued with a laugh. “He never pointed a gun at anybody ever again.”
Dury added that educating children on gun safety will help them outside of home.
“Those parents may not be teaching them the same way we teach them. But if the kids know about the gun, at least they can know not to point it at somebody or tell those kids, you shouldn't be playing with them,” he said.
Dury said adults should always be mindful of their weapons and keep them locked at all times. He showed an example of a smaller gun safe that can be placed on a nightstand and is easily accessible. The safe quickly opens with a personal key code and lights up once it’s opened.