Secure Gun Storage With Be SMART

Firearms are now the leading cause of death among children and teens in the United States. Nearly once a day, curious children—frequently younger than 5 years old—obtain access to improperly stored firearms either in their own home or in the home of a friend or relative and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. In other cases, teenagers struggling through a difficult time may seek out household firearms in moments of crisis. The resulting tragedies are preventable.

The 226th General Assembly (2024) passed an overture which called upon the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness and the Presbyterian Decade to End Gun Violence initiative to promote secure gun storage and other gun safety measures alongside their ongoing gun violence prevention actions, advocacy, and resources. The overture explicitly encourages pursuing this work through collaboration with partners like Be SMART.

The Be SMART campaign is a program of Everytown For Gun Safety Support Fund. Be SMART was launched in 2015 to promote responsible gun ownership in order to reduce the deaths, injuries, and trauma that can result when a child or teen is able to access a gun. Since that time, Be SMART volunteers have encouraged community leaders to come together to emphasize the importance of gun safety and the everyday actions we all can take to keep guns out of the hands of kids.

Below you will find resources from Be SMART which the Office of Public Witness and the Decade to End Gun Violence initiative commend for use in PC(USA) churches and ministries. They can help inform congregations and communities about how to securely store firearms as well as how to talk about secure firearm storage with neighbors, friends, and loved ones. We also encourage you to sign up for one of Be SMART's bi-monthly trainings.