Gun violence has now surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of death for American children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The gun-death rate for children is nearly five in every 100,000. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) wants to remind gun owners that safe gun storage saves lives. Safely storing firearms protects others and keeps weapons out of the hands of criminals and children.
 
In 2023, the Pew Research Center estimated that 45.7% of Texans own a gun. The state of Texas has the highest number of registered gun owners in the nation at 588,696.
 
DPS also found that approximately one-third of homes with children have a firearm, and many of these firearms are unlocked and loaded.
 
“Education begins at home, and so does gun safety,” said Jason Hester, assistant chief of the DPS Regulatory Services Division. “Inspiring families to safely store firearms when not in use is paramount to keeping guns out of the wrong hands. We appreciate the efforts of our partners statewide as they are diligently and consistently helping us to communicate this lifesaving message to protect families and prevent accidents.”
 
DPS provides partners with a comprehensive toolkit that includes training presentations, informative videos, posters, coloring pages, infographics and many more resources for educators to use. The social media resources page also includes social media posts for easy sharing across all platforms.
 
Partner participation is key to educating the public about safe gun storage and reducing risks of gun-related incidents, with the ultimate goal of helping better protect the citizens of Texas. DPS is grateful for the support of this important initiative.
 
Interested parties can utilize the materials in the toolkit or contact info@safegunstoragetexas.com with questions or ideas on ways to collaborate.