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Special recognition of September 2024 as Safe Gun Storage month in Lake County.
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, safe gun storage is a matter of public safety with responsible gun owners prioritizing safe storage; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2022 Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Report, more than one million guns were stolen from private citizens from 2017 to 2021; and
WHEREAS, according to research funded by the National Institute of Justice, over 80% of mass shooters at K-12 schools stole guns from family members; and
WHEREAS, in 2020, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of injury death for children and teens ages 1-19; and
WHEREAS, firearms are responsible for nearly 60% of all suicides in our nation and are used in 46.8% of suicides among teens and children under the age of 18, with 80% of firearm suicides by children involving a gun owned by a family member; and
WHEREAS, 76% of K-12 school mass shootings involved firearms accessed from a family member; and
WHEREAS, 76% of unintentional shootings of children were committed with unsecured guns from the home; and
WHEREAS, a 2015 study reported in Journal of American Medical Association estimated that roughly 4.6 million children live in a home with loaded and unlocked firearms; and
WHEREAS, it is a safe practice to store firearms so they are not accessible to unauthorized individuals or minors; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, Ethan’s Law was proposed in the Illinois Senate as Senate Bill 1521; and
WHEREAS, under Ethan’s Law, gun owners would be required to secure their firearms in a “secure gun storage or safety device” or “in a location that a reasonable person would believe to be secure” if a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm without permission, or if a resident of the dwelling cannot legally possess a firearm under existing law; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County Board supports legislation that would mandate safe firearm storage through its 2023 Legislative Agenda and on April 11, 2023, unanimously passed resolution 23-0560 supporting Ethan’s Law and safe gun storage; and
WHEREAS, keeping at-home firearms locked, unloaded, and stored away from ammunition in secure storage can significantly reduce the risk that children and teens will use the firearm to hurt themselves and/or others; and
WHEREAS, keeping firearms and ammunition locked has been associated with a lower risk of firearm injuries for children and teens in homes where guns are stored, and policies and practices that focus on disrupting access to firearms in times of crisis, including safe storage, have been proven to reduce all firearm suicides; and
WHEREAS, simple and inexpensive solutions such as cable locks, trigger locks, lock boxes and gun safes are readily available online and at sporting goods stores; and
WHEREAS, safe storage saves lives but only if we talk about it and spread awareness.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOGNIZED, by this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, that September 2024 is Safe Gun Storage Month; and
BE IT FURTHER RECOGNIZED, that residents, educators, physicians, elected officials, and parents are encouraged to learn about the need for safe gun storage and the many options available to protect our children, our schools and our community.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on September 10, 2024.