"Every gun that we sell has to be sold with a lock, a gun lock. When people come in, we don't know if they have a lock on it or not because it's in a case," said Bill Edwards. "Hopefully it does. And we want them to be safe when they go out to the range."
[Ads /]
Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said in addition to the theft of unlocked guns from cars and homes, "We've had an alarming rate of individuals, young people who have gotten their hands on firearms and as adults. And if we think that they can't pull the trigger and cause harm to themselves, we're really mistaken. They can do that very easily. So it's so important that we communicate that if you just put a gun lock on that firearm, that will prevent that firearm from going off."
The same concern is shared by Janessa Eddie, a recent gun owner who wore a t-shirt with the words "I AM PRO 2ND AMENDMENT. I OWN GUNS, I SUPPORT COMMONSENSE GUN LAWS" on the back.
Eddie said gun owners who don't use locks on their weapons can put themselves and others in danger.
"They're literally gambling with their lives and the lives of their loved ones," Eddie said. "Because it may not be them (at risk) but there's a lot of people who have children (who could get hurt). And yeah...gambling with your life just doesn't make sense to me."
[Ads /]
Organizers say on any other day in America, a gun lock is not expensive.
"Two bucks. Maybe three at the most. And every new firearm that comes from the manufacturer has a gun lock in the case," said Edwards.
Chief Patterson said RPD came prepared for high demand when gun owners came for the free locks.
"We brought close to a thousand with those," she said. "And so... if we don't get them all out today, we'll be going out to the community and handing them out."