Activist talks about gun safety after Louisiana boy dies after accidentally shooting himself
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — An activist is raising awareness about the importance of gun safety after a Louisiana 3-year-old boy died after he found a gun and accidentally shot himself in the face.
Rev. Alexis Anderson, the founder of PREACH, an organization that provides resources to families in need, said gun safety training is needed to reduce gun violence.
“Without training, without the adequate equipment to secure those weapons in a safe way, without a community that understands what those weapons can or cannot do, it becomes dangerous,” Anderson said.
Deputies said an investigation is ongoing after a 3-year-old in Tangipahoa Parish died after accidentally shooting himself in the face on Wednesday, July 17. The sheriff’s office said the toddler had gotten a hold of the gun. Authorities said a parent tried to save the child, but it was too late.
In April 2022, 3-year-old Devin Page Jr. was shot and killed by a stray bullet while lying in bed. Page’s Jr. His murder remains unsolved.
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Anderson believes weapons can be put away and secured “in a very thoughtful and strategic way.”
“Weapons can almost always be handled safely and proactively, but not when we’re not even discussing it or the conversation,” Anderson said.
Anderson wants parents to become more aware of where they keep weapons inside their homes. Otherwise, cases like Devin Page Jr. and others will continue to happen.
“We are not giving those children either the protection or the de-escalation skills or the resources to feel safe. And so all of a sudden a weapon starts looking like a perfectly acceptable tool in a war zone,” Anderson said.
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