On Asking Saves Kids (ASK) Day on June 21, Brady Reminds Parents and Guardians to Ask: "Is There an Unlocked Gun Where My Child Plays?"

The national awareness day comes as new data shows that unintentional shootings of children spike over the coming summer weeks.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 21, Brady observes Asking Saves Kids Day (askingsaveskids.org), also known as ASK Day. This national awareness day reminds parents, guardians, and caretakers to ask the life-saving question: “Is there an unlocked gun in the home where my child will play?”  The ASK campaign, launched in 2000, is a nationwide effort to reduce firearm violence, which is the leading cause of death of kids in America. 

ASK Day aligns with the start of summer, which marks an annual spike in firearm violence — including unintentional shootings of children — and is a period when kids often have less adult supervision and spend more time at the homes of friends and others. According to a new analysis by Brady, half of the weeks in the year with the most unintentional shootings of children occur during the summer, including around July 4. New research analyzed by Brady also shows that a record 7 million children live in a household with at least one firearm stored unlocked and loaded, an increase from an estimated 4.6 million children in 2015. 

In the United States, almost half of all gun owners don’t store their guns securely – meaning locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition. Every day in America, eight kids are unintentionally injured or killed because of an unsecured firearm. According to a CDC study, children and teens involved in unintentional fatal shootings most often found the unsecured firearm  inside or on top of a nightstand, under a mattress or pillow, or on top of a bed. 

For many parents and gun owners, ASK-ing can be the first step that prevents an irreversible tragedy and encourages life-saving change. Brady encourages parents and caretakers to incorporate ASK-ing about access to unlocked firearms into their summer safety checklists.

Brady President Kris Brown said:

As parents, we already ask all kinds of questions to help keep our kids safe when they visit a friend’s home — about food, allergies, swimming, and screen time. ASK Day reminds us to add just one more life-saving question to that list: “Is there an unlocked gun in the home where my child will play?” With guns in one-third of American households — and many of them left unlocked — we need to add firearm safety to our summer checklists. Practicing and discussing safe firearm storage is a key way to protect our loved ones during the summer, which is a time when unintentional shootings of children spike. You can play a part by ensuring that you store your firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammo and by asking others about unsecured guns in the homes where you and your family visit. It's as straightforward as asking about a peanut butter allergy. And the more we ask, the more we normalize the conversation.

To learn more, visit askingsaveskids.org and find ASK Day community resources at bradyunited.org/ask-day.