Fort Worth program calls on parents to prioritize gun safety during summer break
As children spend more time at home during summer break, experts want parents to be mindful of proper gun storage and safety practices to keep their families safe.
Cook Children’s Health Care System in Fort Worth is reminding families of the importance of responsible gun ownership, as the risk of unintentional gun injuries increases when firearms are stored improperly and children are out of school. From October 2023 to September 2025, Cook Children’s saw 121 unintentional gun injuries, five of which were fatal, according to Harley Roden, Aim for Safety program coordinator at Cook Children’s Center for Community Health.
“Safety doesn’t take the vacation, so as much as summer is all about the vacation and getting that break, safety doesn’t take that break,” Roden said.
Cook Children’s Aim for Safety program provides education and resources for parents with the goal of mitigating these incidents. In 2025, the program distributed 488 gun safes and 3,523 cable locks to the community. Cable locks, which disable firearms when they’re not being used, can be found in the emergency rooms of Cook Children’s Fort Worth and Prosper medical centers at no charge to community members. The gun safes have been provided at community events and can be requested through Cook Children’s.
Of the children who live in a home with guns across Cook Children’s eight-county service area, which includes Tarrant, 1 in 5 live in a home where the guns are not always stored in a locked area, according to a 2024 report. One in 4 children live in a home where ammunition is not always stored separately from guns.
About half of unintentional firearm injury deaths among children and teens between 2001 and 2021 took place at home, typically when children were playing or showing the gun to someone else, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. High schoolers between 14-17 years old and preschoolers ages 5 and younger are the age groups most likely to unintentionally shoot themselves or others.
Roden said program staff typically hear about parents storing firearms in a box at the top of a closet or under the bed, or in a nightstand drawer or under a pillow. Although accessibility is important, a layer of safety is crucial to avoid accidents.
“We want our children to make the right decisions 100% of the time, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But relying on our children’s judgment 100% of the time is not a safety plan,” Roden said.
How do parents talk to children about gun safety?
Experts with Cook Children’s say taking precautions and approaching conversations with children about gun safety depends on the child’s age.
For newborns and toddlers, it’s important to safety-proof the home before they start crawling and walking. Teach them: “No, no. Don’t touch.” As they grow to be preschool and kindergarten ages, enforce the point to never touch a gun, even if they think it is a toy.
This age group is when the following four steps are recommended to be taught through the rest of their adolescence. If a child sees a gun, teach them to:
- Stop
- Don’t touch
- Run away
- Tell a trusted adult
For ages 6-12, discussions about firearms can become more nuanced. Experts recommend the following talking points:
- “Guns are very serious. Guns can protect us, but can also hurt or kill people.”
- “Whether or not we own a gun, I want you to know what to do if you see a gun.”
- “You have seen guns on TV, video games and movies. How do you know if they are real or pretend guns? It’s hard to tell by just looking at them. That’s why you should never ever touch a gun.”
For children ages 13 and older, it’s recommended to talk through scenarios of when they might encounter a firearm, such as at a friend’s house. Parents are encouraged to teach their children to suggest another activity like playing outside or to tell their friend they received a text message and need to call home.
Parents of older teenagers transitioning into adulthood should listen and answer questions honestly and directly about gun safety. They should also beware of who their child is spending time with and pay attention to any behavior changes.
This story was originally published June 27, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
