Recent shootings involving children raise concerns over their access to guns

Amna Nawaz:

In the last few weeks, the country has seen several harrowing events where very young children have had access to loaded guns, taken those firearms and, in two cases, shot themselves or others.

It's again raised questions about the responsibilities of adult gun owners to better protect the children around them.

William Brangham has our conversation.

William Brangham:

Last night, in Newport News, Virginia, parents demanded more answers about why a 6-year-old student was able to access a loaded handgun, bring it into school and intentionally shoot his first grade teacher.

Desiree Yvette, Parent:

My daughter was a student of Richneck. She was in that classroom. She's 6. She's terrified because the person that was advocating for her got hurt.

William Brangham:

And in Indiana a few days ago, residents of an apartment complex shared this alarming video of a toddler wandering alone in the hallway carrying a loaded handgun, pointing it in all directions. The child's father has been arrested.

And then, in Phoenix earlier this month, a young child found a loaded gun in his apartment, played with it and accidentally shot himself. The child is in stable condition.

These cases are unfortunately not isolated ones. So what exactly are the laws governing how gun owners are supposed to secure their weapons to prevent these kinds of events?

Josh Sugarmann is the executive director of the Violence Policy Center, a nonprofit that advocates for stricter gun control.

Josh Sugarmann, thank you so much for being here.

These examples that I have cited are obviously horrendous, discrete events. But can you just tell me a little bit, broadly speaking, are there any laws governing what a gun owner is supposed to do, has to do to protect kids from getting access to those guns?

Josh Sugarmann, Executive Director, Violence Policy Center:

Unfortunately, on the federal level, there are no standards as far as safe storage or limiting child access to firearms.

And that's a sad fact that has been with us for a long time. The other issue is that, at the same time, you have an increase in firepower. You have an increase in the lethality of guns that are being sold in the U.S. And, finally, one point is that you have things like concealed carry, where people come from one home to another and bring a gun with them.

And these most recent events, these horrible events are just the latest example of the price that children pay for the mania we have for guns in this country. And it's not just high-profile incidents, like we have just seen, but it's firearm suicide. It's unintentional injury. It's homicides involving children.

William Brangham:

I recently saw one — a 2018 survey that indicated roughly 4.5 million minors in America live in a household with an unlocked loaded firearm.

Are there states that individually do more to require gun owners, do more to protect kids from getting guns.

Josh Sugarmann:

There are laws on the state level, on the local that can be enacted, such as safe storage, that limit access to guns to children.

But, having said that, one of the most important things to note is that, when you talk to the experts regarding child safety, the most important thing you can do if you have a child is not have a gun in the home. All too often, we think that, as parents, as guardians, you can safely secure the gun and the child will never find it.

Unfortunately, we know all too often that that is untrue.

William Brangham:

OK, so, separately from this access issue, you have documented quite clearly how the gun industry is targeting children as potential customers.

And I saw this flyer that I want to put up. This is a flyer for what's called the JR-15. It's a kid-sized gun styled after the AR-15. The original tagline for this gun says: "Looks, feels and operates just like mom and dad's gun." And the logo is this skull and crossbones with a baby's pacifier in its mouth.

I mean, what does that marketing say to you?

Josh Sugarmann:

Well, it says two things. One is that the gun industry is facing a long-term catastrophe due to the fact that the primary market of white males is essentially saturated for firearms.

So they're following a trail blazed by the tobacco industry, which means targeting women, targeting minority communities, and then also finally targeting children. And this has been going on for a long time. And I think what's most striking about the Wee 1 JR is the fact that they basically said the quiet part out loud, that they were directly marketing a gun to children using grotesque skate punk graphics.

When they talked about the gun, the people who run the company said they wanted to have that type of image because it had a wow factor for the kids. And, not surprisingly, I guess to a degree reassuringly, there was just revulsion against the company when they launched this campaign last year.

And now we're finding that they're relaunching it with a more, I guess you would say kinder, gentler their approach to the marketing. But, still, the bottom line, they're marketing a junior AR-15 to children.

William Brangham:

Here's what I don't understand, is that federal law says you have to be 18 to buy a rifle or a shotgun, 21 to buy a handgun.

Are there no rules governing the marketing of these kinds of firearms to people who are clearly under 21 and under 18?

Josh Sugarmann:

There are very limited rules as regards possession by those under age 18 or under age 21 for a handgun regarding possession for youth. There are restrictions on handguns, with some exceptions.

But the issue of marketing guns to children is actually an issue for the Federal Trade Commission or for state action. And soon after we revealed that Wee 1 Tactical was marking guns to kids, California passed a law banning that practice. Five U.S. senators submitted a letter to the FTC, Federal Trade Commission, urging them to look at this issue.

And I think one key issue is that other states can take action, as could the federal legislation take place.

William Brangham:

All right, Josh Sugarmann of the Violence Policy Center, thank you so much for being here.

Josh Sugarmann:

Thank you for having me.