Protect Our Children from Negligently Stored Guns

It keeps happening. A troubled teenager walks into school with a gun and begins firing. A preschooler accidentally shoots a sibling while playing.

Where did the child get the gun? They found it, unlocked and loaded, at home, or in the home of a friend or relative.

With no law on the books in Washington to hold the negligent gun owner responsible, there is little our law enforcement agencies can do about it.

Why do we let the same tragedy happen over and over again?

It's a story that we hear all too often. It's time for Washington to join the majority of states — including Texas and Florida — that have a Child Access Prevention (CAP) law on the books. Our proposal would ensure that adults are held responsible when a negligently stored firearm is used by a child to harm themselves or others.

We know that these laws save lives. A study of Florida's law — which creates felony liability — showed that state's rate of unintentional child firearm deaths dropped 51% compared to states with weaker laws. States with CAP laws in place for at least one year saw a 23% drop in unintentional firearm deaths among children younger than 15.

Sign the petition and tell Olympia to pass Child Access Prevention and hold negligent gun owners responsible!