Nearly seven million kids live in a home where guns aren't securely stored

Article excerpt

At least 6.7 million American children live in homes with unlocked, loaded firearms, according to a new Northeastern University study published in JAMA Network Open. The finding underscores a persistent public health concern: guns are now the leading cause of death for children in the United States. The research quantifies a vulnerability that safety advocates have long warned about, the gap between gun ownership and secure storage practices. The study's scope suggests the problem is far larger than previously documented, affecting millions of households where children have unsupervised access to loaded weapons.