The New York Times (9/29, Luo, McIntire, Subscription Publication), a 5,300-word feature highlighted the incidence of accidental shootings in US homes when children find weapons in the house and play with them. The paper reviewed “hundreds of child firearm deaths” and discovered that such accidental shootings are happening at about twice the rate officially recorded. This higher rate of accidental gun deaths is said to be caused by “idiosyncrasies in how such deaths are classified by the authorities.” Earlier this year, the National Rifle Association cited the official numbers in its fact sheet stating the group’s opposition to “safe storage” laws. Using the number the Times found, the NRA’s assertion that falls, poisoning, or environmental factors were more likely to kill children than guns would be “incorrect.” Currently, less than 20 states have implemented laws holding adults criminally responsible if their guns aren’t stored safely.
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— “Children and Guns: The Hidden Toll, “Michael Luo, The New York Times, September 28, 2013.