California Attorney General's Office
12/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/17/2024 14:42
Attorney General Bonta Issues Consumer Alert in Light of Recent Accidental Shootings
Reminds gun owners of responsibilities under existing law and in anticipation of new laws going into effect January 1, 2026
OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert highlighting an increase of accidental shootings caused by children gaining access to improperly stored firearms in California. While California law generally makes it a crime to store a firearm in a manner that makes the weapon accessible to an unsupervised minor, firearm-related accidents among adolescents have become an urgent public safety concern in California. The following consumer alert highlights tips, measures, and resources to avoid preventable accidents and other acts of gun violence in the future.
"Unfortunately, there has been a rise in accidental and preventable deaths," said Attorney General Bonta. "We are seeing reports weekly of children accessing guns that are not being properly stored. We respect responsible gun owners who take action to safeguard themselves and loved ones from these horrific tragedies. At the California Department of Justice, we strongly encourage gun owners to be cautious and properly store their firearms using our certified list of DOJ approved safety devices. Safe and secure gun storage saves lives."
In recent weeks, California has seen an uptick in deaths stemming from improper firearm storage. Most of the deaths were caused by parents or guardians of children not unloading their firearms properly or failing to securely lock and store them when not in use. As a result, the child had access to loaded firearms and fired them off accidentally, leading to the deaths of themselves or others.
Unsafely stored firearms are also linked to school shootings and adolescent suicides. The California Legislature has found that:
- Data show that 75% of school shootings are facilitated by children having access to unsecured or unsupervised firearms at home. 87% of children know where their parents' firearms are stored, and 60% report that they have handled them.
- Over 80% of teens who have died by suicide used a firearm that belonged to someone in their home.
New relevant laws will take effect in January of 2026. Senate Bill 53 (Portantino) will require individuals to safely secure firearms in their residence at all times they are not in use or close proximity using a DOJ-certified firearm safety device or secure gun safe. Assembly Bill 3064 (Maienschein) also goes into effect and requires manufacturers of firearm safety devices (FSDs) to mark their products with make and model information to assist consumers in the event of a recall or theft. FSDs are safety implements designed to lock and prevent unauthorized users from firing a weapon.
KEEP YOURSELF SAFE
- Store guns and ammunition separately.
- Use a California-approved firearms safety device on the gun, such as a trigger or cable lock, so it cannot be misfired.
- Store it unloaded in a locked container, such as a California-approved lock box or a gun safe.
- For maximum safety measures, a locking device and a storage container should both be used.
RESOURCES
- To search for Firearm Safety Devices certified for sale, click on the following: