In an event scheduled for Thursday, the new initiative will be introduced, featuring first lady Jill Biden, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, and Stefanie Feldman, head of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Feldman emphasized the importance of safe firearm storage in saving lives, particularly in preventing suicides and school shootings. She stated, “We know safe storage of firearms can save lives, especially by reducing suicide by firearms and school shootings.”
Highlighting the alarming statistic that guns are the leading cause of death for American children, Feldman pointed out that most guns used in school shootings are obtained from the shooter’s home. Expressing concern for parents, she said, “I know that there are some parents who wake up every day, drop their kids off for school, and while they’re watching their kids walk through that door, there’s just a little part of them that worries about gun violence during the school day.”
As part of the initiative, the Justice Department will release a guide on safe firearm storage, and the Education Department will distribute materials to schools for sharing with families. The administration, facing challenges in Congress for stricter gun control proposals, has turned to initiatives involving limited executive action and promoting voluntary measures. Despite no federal law mandating firearm owners to lock up their guns, the White House encourages the implementation of such rules at the state level.
