Washington, D.C., August 29, 2022 — California schools and communities will be safer following the signing of a life-saving gun violence prevention bill by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Every day, eight children are unintentionally injured or killed due to “family fire,” or a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home. The legislation signed today — AB 452 — will prevent family fire by requiring California schools to educate and notify parents about safe firearm storage laws.
Brady — alongside our California chapter and Women Against Gun Violence (WAGV) — sponsored and led advocacy efforts in support of AB 452 and helped drive over 3,700 messages to state lawmakers urging passage of the bill. In the 10 years leading up to this historic passage, Brady California and WAGV grassroots activists went from school district to school district working with educational leaders to distribute information on the life-saving role of safe gun storage in preventing child death and injury. We must keep our kids and our communities safe.
Brady President Kris Brown stated:
“The data is clear: Unsecured firearms cause school shootings. In America, 76% of school shootings are enabled by kids having access to unsecured or unsupervised guns in the home. AB 452 is a common-sense measure that will immediately address this preventable violence through education and information, and we commend Asm. Laura Friedman and the state of California for leading the way in gun violence prevention efforts. Together, we can end family fire, and that starts with safe firearm storage.”
Team ENOUGH — the youth arm of Brady — Executive Council Member and California Lobbying Collective Lead Lea Nepomuceno stated:
“I was proud to train and empower fellow California youth to lobby for this life-saving bill. My classmates and I should feel safe from the threat of unsecured firearms, including when we’re at school, at home, and visiting our friend’s homes. We worked with educational leaders across the state to inform lawmakers on the importance of safe gun storage and how this legislation will save lives. Our grassroots efforts culminated in the passage of AB 452, which we have spent the past three years making into a reality. We thank Gov. Newsom for taking action to protect kids, promote responsible gun ownership, and prevent senseless tragedies due to family fire.”
Every day, eight children and teens are unintentionally injured or killed due to an unlocked or unsupervised gun in the home — also known as “family fire." A recent study found that nearly two-thirds of gun owning adults in California who have children in the home did not store firearms locked and unloaded. This legislation will prevent family fire by informing parents and guardians about how they can safely store their firearms — locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.
AB 452 will:
Require the Department of Education to create a notification outlining California’s Child Access Prevention laws and laws regarding safe storage of firearms.
Require California public schools to notify parents about the state’s safe firearm storage and child access prevention laws.
Require a notification to be sent out at the beginning of each semester or quarter of the regular school term and during any new enrollment or transfer.
Immunize school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and the superintendent from civil liability for any damages relating to the notification.
Firearm Deaths
In 2020, 3,449 people died due to gun violence in California.
In 2020, 1,732 people were victims of firearm homicide in California.
In 2020, 1,552 people in California took their own lives with a firearm.
Impact on Diverse Communities
In California, Hispanic/Latino males are 3.2 times more likely to be a victim of firearm homicide than their white counterparts.
Black males are 14.3 times more likely to be a victim of firearm homicide than their white counterparts.
Among young Black males (ages 10-24), the firearm homicide rate is 17.3 times higher than their white counterparts.
Hispanic/Latino males are 3 times more likely to be a victim of firearm homicide than their white counterparts.
Among young Hispanic/Latino males (ages 10-24), the firearm homicide rate is 4.5 times higher than their white counterparts.
White males are 3.6 times more likely to take their own life with a firearm than Hispanic/Latino males and 2.2 times more likely than Black males.
Gun Violence in California Versus the National Average
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the gun homicide rate in California is 25.1% lower than the average national rate.
The gun suicide rate is 44.8% lower than the average national rate.
The rate for all firearm deaths is 36.1% lower than the average national rate.
With more than 4.6 million children living in homes with access to an unlocked or unsupervised gun, End Family Fire, a national education effort from Brady and the Ad Council, puts a name to the preventable tragedies that occur when these guns are misused. Unintentional shootings, suicide, and intentional shootings are all forms of family fire. The End Family Fire program gives gun owners a role in gun violence prevention and encourages a national dialogue around safe storage practices — all of which can prevent family fire-related tragedies. Learn more at endfamilyfire.org.
Nearly 70% of student shooters gained access to a lawfully purchased gun from their residence or that of a relative.
Roughly 87% of kids know where their parents’ guns are kept and 60% have handled them.
Over 80% of teens who commit suicide with a gun used one that belonged to someone in their home.
Guns are the third leading cause of death for kids.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
By continuing to browse, you consent to the use of cookies on this site.
By clicking OK below, you will be directed to a website operated by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, an independent 501(c)(4) entity.