Friday, June 2, is National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States.

Dr. Fred Rivara says that securely storing firearms is a vital task that can help curb the troubling trend. 

“About a third to 40% of households in the state of Washington have firearms in the home,” said Rivara, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “Unless it's stored safely, that firearm is going to pose a greater risk to people in the household than not having a firearm.  It’s going to pose a greater risk of someone in the family using it to commit suicide than the idea that you might shoot an intruder. So, it's really key to make sure that the firearm is safely stored.”  

Hear more from Rivara in downloadable broadcast-ready assets, including b-roll of how to operate a gun lockbox.  

Related resources: 

• Public Health—Seattle & King County is hosting free community lockbox giveaway events throughout Puget Sound on Friday, June 2.  
• King County’s Lock It Up program