by Elaine Korry

A simple cable lock (in red) looped through the action of an unloaded AR-15 semiautomatic rifle renders the weapon inoperable, in case a child or other unauthorized person gains access to it. (Elaine Korry/KQED)

Accidental gun deaths have topped news headlines lately, with young people the most likely victims. In Sacramento, several Democratic state lawmakers are sponsoring bills to cut down on these tragic accidents, by making gun owners more accountable for how their weapons are secured.

One measure would make gun owners liable for any harm done by their firearms—regardless of who caused it. Right now they can be held liable if a child gets a hold of their loaded weapon and harms someone. But the proposed law goes further, in that gun owners could be penalized if they leave a loaded weapon unsecured, so that a child simply could access it.

Assembly Whip Jimmy Gomez, a co-sponsor of AB231, wants gun owners to take more precautions. “Keep your gun in a lock box, have a trigger lock, keep the bullets away from the gun itself, and that way if something happens and somebody tries to use your gun, it’s less likely that they’ll be able to get a hold of it, and then actually do something dangerous with it,” said Gomez.

Many gun owners say of course they’re responsible for their firearms, but they don’t need new laws to spell out how to make them safer. “If you have a gun, common sense, without anybody even telling you anything, is to lock it up so there’s no access from anybody that’s not authorized to use a firearm,” said Scott Jackson, a firearms owner and safety instructor in the Bay Area city of Burlingame.

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