AUGUSTA - Rep. Vicki Doudera, D-Camden, leader of the Legislature's Gun Safety Caucus and sponsor of LD 759, An Act To Amend the Child Endangerment Laws to Include Certain Unauthorized Access to a Loaded Firearm, has released a statement in response to the news that a 2-year-old child in West Bath accessed a loaded, unsecured gun and discharged it, shooting both of his parents and injuring himself.
"What happened in West Bath on Wednesday is a sad, shocking example of why we need education around the safe storage of firearms in homes where children reside," said Doudera. "Children are curious and, as countless studies have shown, often know exactly where loaded guns are kept."
Doudera is calling for passage of her legislation along with an education campaign that sends the message that gun owners should not leave a loaded firearm where a child might be able to access it. LD 759 requires adults with firearms in their home to keep the firearms secure in a manner that would prevent another West Bath incident from happening.
"How many shootings or near misses do we need to have before we realize that we are putting Maine kids in danger?" asked Doudera. "How high does our already elevated rate of teen suicide need to climb before we look at locking up our guns when kids are around?"
Doudera cited recent events, such this past January when a 2-year-old child was shot by an older sibling in their home in Waterville, and the April incident when a Richmond elementary student brought a loaded handgun to school, as evidence that the state has a growing problem of child access to loaded firearms. In addition, she said that the rate of gun suicide in Maine increased 50% from 2010 to 2019, compared to 13% nationally, and that the rate of young people dying by firearm suicide is climbing.
"Homes are the primary places where young people obtain firearms used in suicides," said Doudera, citing a National Institutes of Health report. "This happens in their own homes, as well as those of relatives or friends. We always hear that gun owners in Maine are responsible and don't need laws telling them to lock up their guns, but sadly that is not the case with all firearm owners. Obviously we need to act swiftly before more children are put in danger. I am calling for a campaign to educate gun owners about safe storage measures, along with the passage of LD 759. Lets make it crystal clear that allowing a child access to a loaded, unsecured firearm is wrong."
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [Doudera], c. 812-1111