firearm safety education is lacking in community

PEORIA (25News Now) – A gun safety expert from a Peoria firearm education and training organization is pleading with the community to properly store guns following a violent weekend of shootings involving kids.

On June 16, an eight-year-old boy was shot in the head, sustaining life-threatening injuries, after an adult left a gun unattended on a table. A day before, on June 15, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the leg in what police say was a separate incident.

92nd Buffalo Education and Training gun expert and co-owner Marilyn Woods said she hopes to see people take firearm safety seriously in light of these events.

“Some people don’t understand the consequences when you pull that trigger,” Woods said. “It hits you physically, financially, morally.”

She said shootings involving children are too common and not enough people have proper gun safety education.

“A lot of accidents are preventable if people will take the precautions of using gun locks, a safety box, and keeping them away from kids,” Woods said. “Even if you’re in your vehicle, have it locked in a safety box and have a gun lock on it.”

Woods thinks it’s important people teach their children gun safety as well.

“It’s not a toy, it’s a tool for self-defense only, and not to be used for retaliation,” Woods said. “Teach your kids. Allow that child to hold that firearm, let them know this is not a toy.”

Residents are also concerned about the number of young people involved in shootings in 2024. Bartonville resident Larry Williams said guns are getting into the wrong hands.

“If you’re talking about violence, people that have guns that are out robbing stores and shooting people, those aren’t safe people,” Williams said. “Those are people that shouldn’t have guns.”

Peoria resident Don Baker said he believes police are doing the best they can, but it’s a complicated issue,

“Even [in] cities that have strong gun control, they can buy them in communities outside from there and bring them into the city. I think it’s hard to control who owns a gun and who doesn’t,” Baker said. “I understand the community doesn’t want to come forward sometimes because they’re fearful of retribution, so all those things are things you somehow have to solve.”

Woods said if someone needs to learn gun safety, 92nd Buffalo Education and Training can help provide training. She said they also provide free gun locks.

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