Treat depression promptly. Most gun deaths are suicides. There were 18,000 suicides out of 34,000 total US gun deaths in 1995. Keeping guns away from your child is not enough to prevent suicides. A politically-correct rope suicide is just as tragic as a politically-incorrect gun suicide.
Don't let your children sell or use illegal drugs. Estimates vary, but roughly half of all US gun murders are drug-related. (This includes murders during robberies which are carried out to buy drugs.) When politicians talk about the "innocent child victims of gun violence", they always include the many teenage drug dealers shot by rival teenage drug dealers.
Teach your children not to abuse alcohol. Drunkenness causes tragedy, especially when mixed with guns, cars, or knives.
Lock up your guns whenever practical. The NRA recommends a sturdy safe, instead of the flimsy gun locks that the gun-control industry pushes.
Teach your children about gun safety. Sooner or later they will encounter a gun, especially if they are around police officers or hunters. Call 800-336-7402 and spend $20 on item ES11545, the "NRA Gun Safety Package". The package includes two videos and seven pamphlets. One video is suitable for small children and the other video is for older children and adults. The children's video ("Eddie Eagle") teaches: If you see a gun, don't touch it. Get away from the gun then tell a trusted adult about the gun. The adult's video teaches the NRA rules of gun safety, which are similar to Jeff Cooper's rules listed below.
Note that more than two-thirds of all US gun deaths are either suicides or drug-related. There are fewer than 1,000 accidental gun deaths per year in the US, but these accidents can be especially tragic.
.You can prevent nearly all gun accidents by following these four rules. Jeff Cooper's words are in bold. All the rest is additional explanation.
All guns are always loaded (until you establish whether they are or not). If you think it is unloaded, check it again. Remember to check the chamber as well as the magazine.
Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. Keep your gun pointed in a safe direction at all times: on the range, at home, loading, or unloading. Don't point guns at people or animals except when necessary for self-defense or hunting.
Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target (and you are ready to shoot).
Be sure of your target. Know what it is, what is in line with it and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you haven't positively identified. Remember that a handgun bullet can travel one mile and a rifle bullet can travel several miles.
.Call 800-336-7402 and spend $20 on item ES11545, the "NRA Gun Safety Package". The package includes two videos and seven pamphlets. One video is suitable for small children and the other video is for older children and adults. The children's video ("Eddie Eagle") teaches: If you see a gun, don't touch it. Get away from the gun then tell a trusted adult about the gun. The adults video teaches the NRA rules of gun safety, which are similar to Jeff Cooper's rules listed above.