A 9-year-old child died after an accidental shooting in Hearne earlier this month, prompting local experts to emphasize the importance of firearm safety in homes with children.
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The incident occurred in the 600 block of Austin Street when a 7-year-old boy accidentally shot his 9-year-old brother with a firearm that the homeowners kept for protection.
"It's sad that anytime you hear about something like that that happens it could have been avoided or possibly avoided," owner of Burdett & Son Outdoor Adventure Shop, Barry Burdett said.
Burdett stressed the importance of keeping firearms completely out of children's reach.
"Whether that's a safe or, you know, locked somewhere or high up," Burdett said.
But safe storage alone isn't enough, according to Burdett. Children also need early, honest education about guns.
"One of the bigger problems is that they're curious about them. They see them on television, they see people do things with them, and they get curious on their own, and the last thing you want is for children to explore those things by themselves," he said.
"Make sure you set ground rules as to how farms are handled, for about as early age as they can understand the dangers of what they are," he added.
Helen Osborne, a Hearne resident and gun owner, believes neighbors need to work together to keep children safe and prevent future accidents.
"You never know what the child might have on his mind to do," Osborne said.
She emphasized that children's natural curiosity can lead to dangerous situations.
"They see something, a gun, a knife or something, they think it's something they can play with," Osborne said.
Osborne advocates for education as a key prevention strategy.
"Show them and teach them. This is not to be played with. This is real. It can hurt you real bad," she said.
Additional resources on keeping children safe around firearms are available here.
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