After a shooting this week in St. Joseph that resulted in the death of a 2-year-old, the Buchanan County Sheriff and others are encouraging gun safety education and keeping guns out of the reach of children.
As previously reported, Alexzander S. Green was charged with first degree endangering the welfare of a child, a felony. According to charging documents, three other children were also at the residence with Green, ranging in age from two to six. According to witness statements, Green was asleep and left his loaded firearm unattended.
Sheriff Bill Puett said there are local resources available such as classes and training regarding gun safety and part of that safety starts with good practices at home or by the gun owner.
“Make sure that the weapons are locked up and secured and not able to be handled by individuals, children or whoever that shouldn’t obviously have access to those weapons,” Puett said. “We know that sometimes people forget, but this is such a important issue that people really need to stay focused and make sure that they keep those weapons secure. Part of it, I think, is responsibility of parents, gun owners, in the home to educate children, to educate folks that might be around.”
Puett adds that the Sheriff’s Office as well as some other law enforcement agencies offer free gun locks for anyone who may need one. The Sheriff’s Office provided gun locks to give away at an upcoming gun safety training class for children.
Shawn Harper with Midwest Best Handgun Instructors in Cosby said they offer gun safety classes for all ages. Harper said at an upcoming free class especially for children, they will teach the ABCs of gun safety along with allowing kids to shoot a gun, while supervised, at a shooting range to satisfy any curiosity they may have.
“I’m not exactly sure where kids get it, but when they see a gun, they have a compelling urge to pick it up and pull the trigger with no regard for the consequences because they don’t understand the consequences,” Harper said.
The upcoming June 23rd class is full but Harper said they will be offering more in the future. Visit Midwest Best Handgun Instructors on Facebook or call (816) 558-5300 for more information.