The onus is on ADULTS to ensure children don’t access firearms. Be SMART for Kids: Assume curious children can and will find guns and store them unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition. Learn more about the importance of secure gun storage at besmartforkids.org.

You read that right—a FIRST GRADER is facing a YEAR-LONG suspension for bringing a gun to school. No mention of who the gun belonged to or how the child gained access to it.

School, relationships, anxiety, depression, and social media are just some of the stressors young people experience today.

Our Maryland Be SMART volunteers on the Eastern Shore have been collaborating with various departments of health to spread the life-saving message of secure firearm storage.

Guns are the number one killer of children in the US. What you may not know is that nearly one-third of child gun deaths are suicides, and over the past decade, the firearm suicide rate among young people has increased faster than among any other age group.

More than 700 children under 18 living in the US die by gun suicide every year. The dynamics of suicide are complex, but one thing is clear: Easy access to a gun can make the difference between life and death.

As the mother of two students who survived a school shooting, Emily Schiltz knows all too well the lasting impact a school shooting has on a family and a community. She and others volunteers planned a week of events during SMART Week to spread the word about the importance of secure gun storage.

Be SMART Visionaries exemplify the very best of what the program stands for. They have reached new members of their communities, developed innovative approaches to education and outreach, and embedded Be SMART as a foundational value where they live and lead.

Thanks to everyone for making SMART Week a success! Over 1000 volunteers in 43 states came out to more than 500 #BeSMART events across the US, and advocates and partners at the local, state, & national levels teamed up to help us spread awareness about the critical importance of secure gun storage.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This month, we will call attention to the devastating impact of firearm suicide on young people in the US, and provide information about what we can do to prevent it.

SMART Week has come to an end but it's vitally important to continue to educate others about the importance of secure gun storage year round. Text SMART to 644-33 to learn how you can become more involved.

The letter T in #BeSMART stands for telling your friends and neighbors to Be SMART. Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the US. We can’t afford to stay silent.

School shootings are every parent’s nightmare. We’ve seen time and again that when guns aren’t properly stored, tragedy can strike—and the research backs that up. In fact, roughly 76 percent of school shooters under 18 gained access to the gun used from the home of a parent or close family member.

In incidents of school shootings, data shows that shooters are often current or former students and that the guns they use are most often obtained from their home or the homes of their relatives. Securing guns plays a huge role in keeping our schools safe.

Thank you, Allison, for using your platform to share the Be SMART message in your community!

Homes aren’t the only place that children can access unsecured guns. With alarming regularity, kids access and discharge guns that have been stored under a car seat, in an unlocked glove box or center console, or in a car door compartment.

The letter M in #BeSMART stands for modeling responsible behavior around guns. Every law-abiding adult has the right to decide whether or not to have a gun in the home. But you can’t be sure that curious or impulsive kids will not find and handle guns, even if you believe they are hidden well.

The S in SMART stands for securing guns in homes and vehicles. “Hiding” a gun under a mattress or in a glove-compartment, placing it on a high shelf, or in an unlocked closet is NOT secure storage.

Today, we’re kicking off SMART Week to spread the word about the critical importance of secure gun storage! SMART Week is all about educating communities on the simple steps that everyone—gun owners and non-gun owners alike—can take right now to prevent gun violence.

Tomorrow, August 25, is the first day of SMART Week—a time when we come together to spread the word about the critical importance of secure gun storage to prevent gun violence.

TRAGIC. A 5-year-old, left alone in a car in Georgia, died after finding a loaded gun in the vehicle and unintentionally discharging the weapon. A 27-year-old man was charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct in connection with the child's death.

Thank you to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors for adopting a proclamation recognizing Aug. 25-29 as SMART Week! @momsdemand.bsky.social @besmartforkids.bsky.social #BeSMART

Thanks for spreading the word about secure gun storage! Join us for SMART Week by texting SMART to 644-33!

As young people head back to school, SMART Week reminds us that adults have homework, too. The assignment? To spread the word about secure gun storage and taking a few simple steps to save lives.

In the US, a gun is stolen from a car every nine minutes. These stolen guns are often used in other crimes, threatening the safety of our communities. An unsecured gun in a vehicle can also lead to tragedy if a child gains access to it.

Thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles for inviting Pennsylvania volunteers to spread the word about the importance of secure gun storage at a preseason game this weekend!

SHOCKING. A Florida woman put a gun in her child’s backpack and told the child to return it to their father before school. The father, unaware the firearm was in the bag, dropped the child off at school—where it was discovered. buff.ly/NTENgLn

Coming soon! One of the smartest things adults can do to keep kids, classrooms, and communities safe from gun violence is to raise awareness about secure gun storage. Help spread the word about this critical safety campaign August 25-29.

A 12-year-old boy unintentionally shot himself after finding a loaded gun while he and his 19-year-old brother were cleaning out their grandmother’s home. He was rushed to the hospital where he died from his injuries. buff.ly/LtihIJc

Securing firearms is one of the best ways to keep our schools and communities safe from gun violence. SMART Week, August 25-29, is all about empowering people with the simple steps they can take right now to prevent gun violence!

INDEFENSIBLE: A child unintentionally shot his brother with an AK-47 after their father left the weapon unattended on a couch in their St. Louis home. The man has been charged with child endangerment. buff.ly/SitcwrH

This week, Be SMART volunteers collaborated with law enforcement agencies across the country for National Night Out 2025! These family-friendly events provide a perfect opportunity to have conversations with parents and caregivers about the importance of secure firearm storage.

New Jersey volunteers had a great time and many productive conversations about secure firearm storage at the New York Giants training camp this weekend! Learn more about this life-saving program at besmartforkids.org!

Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children. Safe Kids Worldwide is an organization committed to reducing preventable injuries to children, so our partnership over the years has been a natural fit.

The beginning of the school year is a great time to spread the word about the importance of secure gun storage. Many children in gun-owning households know where the guns are stored, even if their parents don’t think they do. These are our kids, our children’s classmates, and our neighbors.

OUTRAGEOUS. A 13-year-old boy has been charged in the shooting death of his 8-year-old brother, after handling an unsecured gun and unintentionally discharging the weapon. At the boy’s hearing, his father cried “I’ve lost one son, I can’t lose another.” buff.ly/OBjWsfu

Guns are the leading cause of death for children in America. As adults, it’s our responsibility to keep them safe. That includes asking other adults if they have guns—and if so, how they’re stored—before our kids visit their homes or ride in their cars.

Eunice Benavidez’s 15-year-old brother was killed when a friend unintentionally shot him with an unsecured gun. His senseless death galvanized Eunice to become a passionate advocate for secure storage in Michigan and across the country!

The rate of gun thefts from cars has soared over the past decade, which poses a significant risk to our communities. Securely storing guns in cars is one way gun owners can help deter crime and save lives.

A 4-year-old boy unintentionally shot his mother after gaining access to his sleeping father’s gun on the couch in their Washington home. Multiple unsecured firearms were found throughout the home. buff.ly/1VVOtJz

Be SMART was launched to raise awareness that secure gun storage—storing guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition—can save lives. It emphasizes that it’s an adult’s responsibility to keep kids from accessing guns, and that every adult can play a role in keeping kids and communities safer.

A 12-year-old boy was killed when he and a sibling were playing with a gun in a Houston home, and the gun unintentionally discharged. Tragedies like this are preventable with secure storage. Be SMART for kids, and store guns unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition. buff.ly/AsMB2hY

INFURIATING. A 2-year-old was injured after unintentionally shooting himself with a gun that his father had left unsecured in their Arizona home. The child’s father told officers he set the firearm on the couch, intending to clean it, but got distracted watching online videos. buff.ly/c5sfpEa

Every year nearly 360 children under 18 gain access to a firearm & unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. That’s roughly one unintentional shooting per day. Join us virtually on Tuesday, 7/15, to learn more about how having a simple conversation about secure gun storage can save lives.

A growing body of research suggests that firearm theft—particularly from vehicles—is a key, but often overlooked, source of weapons used in crimes. It is critical to store guns so that they’re inaccessible to kids and other unauthorized users, in homes AND in vehicles. buff.ly/tlIO74G

HEARTBREAKING. 3-year-old Jianna Jones fatally shot himself in his Georgia home after finding his father’s unsecured gun and unintentionally discharging the weapon. Tragedies like this are preventable with secure firearm storage. Be SMART: store guns unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition.

Children in Richmond schools will be safer this fall thanks to the hard work of Virginia volunteers! They prepped 3,000 Be SMART pamphlets, in both English and Spanish, to be distributed to all families in the district!

Whether you’re heading with the family to Grandpa and Grandma’s house or visiting friends over the weekend, it’s critical to ask about the presence of guns and how they are secured. Let’s ensure our friends and families have a safe and happy 4th!

The worst possible outcome of leaving a gun unsecured is the death or serious injury of someone you love. But there are other consequences that people don’t always consider—outcomes that can change lives in an instant.

West Virginia Be SMART volunteers partnered with @bradybuzz at the Shepherdstown Street Fest to remind parents and caregivers that asking about the presence of unsecured guns saves lives. Even if you aren’t a gun owner, your child may visit someone who is.