Decades later, the weight of my colleague’s loss is still heavy; two of his childhood friends were accidentally killed “playing” with guns.
Gun violence is an epidemic in this country:
- 4.6 million children live in homes with access to an unlocked or unsupervised gun. Every day 8 children and teens are unintentionally injured or killed due to an unlocked or unsupervised gun in the home.
- 75% of school shootings are facilitated by kids having access to unsecured and/or unsupervised guns at home.
In December, I mobilized friends from Moms Demand Action Against Gun Violence to come to City Hall. We pushed this issue onto the agenda and our council agreed to prioritize study of a Safe Gun Storage Ordinance.
Experts agree that storing firearms unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition prevents access and saves lives. Securing guns safely can also prevent gun theft and crime; a shocking 380,000 guns are stolen each year from private gun owners. My friend’s house in the Central neighborhood was robbed, and my stomach dropped when she said, “They took the guns too.” Stolen guns from San Mateo, this is happening here in our own community.
The Safe Gun Storage Ordinance will be coming to a study session soon. You can help make San Mateo safer. Sign up for my newsletter to get involved!
Amourence Lee is a member of the San Mateo City Council and will be running for re-election in November 2020. This post does not imply endorsement by DemCast.
