ST. LOUIS – Educators in the St. Louis Public Schools District gathered Saturday in north St. Louis to provide gun locks and other resources to promote gun safety.
Saturday morning, St. Louis Public Schools officials gave out gun locks for owners to safely store their guns.
Serena Muhammed, Deputy Director for the St. Louis Mental Health Board, said events like “Educators for Gun Safety” at Vashon High School are needed to remind people to secure their firearms properly.
“We’re going to keep doing these. You’re going to keep hearing this message until we see a change in what’s happening in our homes,” Muhammed said.
Even if your primary purpose is to protect your home, Muhammed said getting a gun lock is a good way to protect the people in your home.
“We’re losing too many people to unintentional shootings, especially our young people,” said Muhammed. “They’re getting access to guns that are unsecured in their homes. We’re encouraging families to really think about safe storage gun locks to prevent those shootings from happening in the first place.”
Maura Carter is a teacher at Vashon High School and parent. She was one of many who visited campus to pick up a gun lock Saturday to keep her kids safe.
“We don’t want them to get it and then something accidentally happens,” she said.
As an educator, getting a lock gives her another opportunity to teach by setting an example. She said a lock could save a life.
“It’s our children, it’s our future and these kids are the future of the U.S.,” Carter said. “We need to protect them. They need to be able to grow up and understand that guns just aren’t a toy, [and] you can also hurt someone else with a gun.”
St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams said, in addition to the event, the district is also teaching parents children about what to do if they see a gun.
“This is an issue. We’re about to enter summer. Kids will be home for the next three months, and they won’t be in school every single day,” Dr. Adams said.
Adams said the idle time can create additional distractions for kids whose parents are at work. Like Carter, Dr. Adams said a lock could save a life.
“The education piece is important, but that lock really stops them cold from using a gun to harm themselves or somebody else,” Dr. Adams said.
