By the Numbers: 15 June 2026
6.7 million
The number of children in the United States in 2024 who "lived in a household with at least 1 loaded and unlocked gun," according to a study published in JAMA Network Open -- Firearm Storage in Households With Children.
In this survey study of adult firearm owners who lived in households with children younger than 18 years, more than 1 in 5 reported that at least 1 firearm in their household was both loaded and unlocked, a practice more common when all children in the household were teenagers. More effective approaches to motivating parents to make their firearms inaccessible to both their teenagers and their younger children are needed.
6.7 million
The number of children in the United States in 2024 who "lived in a household with at least 1 loaded and unlocked gun," according to a study published in JAMA Network Open -- Firearm Storage in Households With Children.
In this survey study of adult firearm owners who lived in households with children younger than 18 years, more than 1 in 5 reported that at least 1 firearm in their household was both loaded and unlocked, a practice more common when all children in the household were teenagers. More effective approaches to motivating parents to make their firearms inaccessible to both their teenagers and their younger children are needed.