ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO) – Gun locks are one of the most effective ways to prevent firearms from being used inappropriately – accidentally, impulsively, as part of a crime after being stolen, or by children – so the state of Minnesota has decided to make them available for free.
John Harrington is the director of the Department of Public Safety. He says unsecured firearms are a significant contributor to the problem of gun deaths.
“One of the classic lines is: it’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness, so in light of what has been years of extreme gun violence, the Department of Public Safety has taken the initiative to give away 10,000 gun locks to try and prevent further tragedies,” he said.
Harrington said that there were 513 gun-related deaths in Minnesota in 2020, calling it an epidemic of gun violence. He said in 2021 nationally there were 392 unintentional shooting deaths of children and in Minnesota there were four – including one in Moorhead.
Harrington says they will start giving away the gun locks this week at the State Fair but soon they’ll also be distributed via churches, police stations, and community groups across Minnesota.
