Guns Kept in the Home
Approximately one-third of families with children (representing more than 22 million children in 11 million homes) keep at least one gun in the home. Nearly all childhood unintentional shooting deaths occur in or around the home. Fifty percent occur in the home of the victim, and nearly 40 percent occur in the home of a friend or relative. Presence of a firearm in the home (especially a firearm kept loaded and unlocked) is associated with an increased risk of unintentional firearm fatalities among children. An estimated 3.3 million children in the United States live in households with firearms that are always or sometimes kept loaded and unlocked.