Durham County offering free gun locks in new state push for gun safety
DURHAM COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Durham County officials are working to protect children from the mishandling of guns by offering free gun locks.
The availability of free gun locks follows Governor Roy Cooper's announcement Monday that was focused on safe gun storage and keeping guns out of the wrong hands.
It's called NC Safe.
The governor's office is partnering with cities across North Carolina to distribute 25,000 gun locks and 200 gun safes.
It costs of $2.5 million dollars.
You'll also see the campaign on TV and social media showing what can happen when guns are not stored safely.
They're even thinking about deploying gun safety teams to schools in hopes of educating students and also holding presentations at P.T.A meetings.
Families of gun violence victims say the devastating feelings do not go away.
The governor's office says the idea is to encourage communities across the state to have conversations about gun safety.
By 9:30 a.m., concerned gun owners picked up nearly three dozen the 400 free locks available outside Durham's Justice Center.
Among them, people who own more than one firearm.
"Although there are adults in my son's household, one is just 18. So not only am I thinking about me and my household, but my son and his family as well," said Reba Smith.
That concern is shared by others here, who know what can happen when bullets hurt or kill people.
Shots fired in in the city and county killed a teenage boy near the American Tobacco Trail and Hillside High earlier this year.
"There's nothing worse than having to see an autopsy of a young child who has been a victim of gun violence. Whether that's been gun violence on the street, and they've been an innocent bystander, or that child has themselves found a gun and shot themselves," said Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry.
That's why the district attorney, health department director and other safety advocates want all of the locks they're giving away to secure weapons wherever owners keep them.
But the DA says these are not the only locks that could prevent gun violence.
"60% of the guns that have been stolen in Durham County have been stolen from unlocked cars. So people may have a gun stored in their cars, forget they have it, leave their car unlocked," she said.
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