For Immediate Release

Prince George’s County children killed and wounded by handguns leads ceasefire maryland to exclaim: "get guns out of homes now!"

September 28th, 2003

Four children hit in two shootings, 5-year-old girl dies, 7-year-old boy in critical condition

Baltimore, MD: CeaseFire Maryland called on parents to remove guns from their homes following two tragic shootings in Prince George’s County just hours apart yesterday. In the fatal shooting, a four- or five-year-old child fired a 45-calibre semiautomatic handgun at the five-year-old girl and seven-year-old boy as they stood inside the front door of their house.

Leah Barrett, Executive Director, said: “CeaseFire Maryland is saddened and deeply troubled by the shootings, especially of a child shooting other children. When will people realize that it is time for parents to remove guns from their homes to prevent more tragedies such as this? The five-year-old child has to live with the consequences of what he did. How did his parents allow him to get his small hands on this lethal weapon? They should be held accountable.”

“The gun lobby has worked hard to convince Americans that they need guns in their homes for protection. As a result, too many parents have guns in their homes because they believe they will be safer. The reality is they’re putting their families, their friends, their neighbors and, as this tragedy so vividly shows, even innocent people outside the home at greater risk of gun violence,” said Matt Fenton, President of CeaseFire Maryland.

Leah Barrett continued: “The sad fact is no matter how much care parents take to store their guns, it is impossible to store them so that even small children, who are notoriously curious and determined, cannot get their hands on them. So, until firearms manufacturers improve their products to prevent unauthorized use, the only truly safe solution is to keep guns out of homes.”

Leah Barrett said: “Some unanswered questions still exist, such as where were the parents of the children involved and how were the guns were stored, if at all. But, more than any legal or legislative point, CeaseFire Maryland believes that public attention should be directed to the fact that, if there had not been loaded guns in the home for these children to take, this senseless tragedy would not have happened.”

A recent study showed 22 suicides (attempted or completed), homicides or unintentional shootings for every justifiable shooting of an assailant or intruder. Kellerman, AL, Somes G, Rivara F, et al, Injuries and deaths due to firearms in the home. Journal of Trauma 45: 263-267, 1998.