Smith and Wesson pistols are shown. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a resolution encouraging Ohioans to safely store their guns to stop children dying as firearms legislation stagnates in the Republican-dominated Legislature.
Year after year, tragedy occurs when an unsecured gun turns into an accidental shooting.
Just in the last few months, Akron 10-year-old he was accidentally shot in the face while he was with a friend. Cleveland 14-year-old he was accidentally shot and killed after a gun exploded in his car. Elyria 15-year-old he was also accidentally shot. AND 1 year ancient had to undergo surgery after a teenager accidentally shot him.
These are just some of the cases from 2025, but we’ve covered dozens over the years – from infants, toddlers, teenagers to adults.
Another problem facing Ohio is car break-ins to steal guns.
State Rep. Darnell Brewer, R-Cleveland, is trying to solve the problem.
“We can encourage people, first, to respect the Second Amendment and, second, to store their guns safely,” Brewer said.
Several such measures already exist in Cincinnati, including a program under which gun owners can store their firearms at a police station free of charge for up to six months.
“When grandchildren come over… when someone in the home is having a mental health crisis — there are many reasons why people feel it’s not safe to have a gun in the home at this time,” said Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney.
The city of Columbus has been trying to address this problem for years.
The Ohio Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to a Columbus ordinance requiring owners to lock up their guns.
State Rep. Josh Williams encourages secure storage to prevent deaths, but said there cannot be such a requirement.
“I understand that situations like this occur, but that doesn’t mean you can violate the constitutional rights of every other law-abiding citizen,” Williams said.
Brewer was asked about the likelihood of passing this resolution after Ohio’s Republican lawmakers have repeatedly passed bills eliminating gun restrictions and refused to pass bills imposing any restrictions on gun ownership.
“We hope to tell this story,” Brewer said, detailing the shooting of a toddler in Columbus and the 2023 case of a pregnant Huron County woman who died along with her child, who also did not survive after being shot by a 2-year-old.
“We’re trying to get Republicans to change their hearts and minds.”
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said they need real change.
“I applaud the bipartisan efforts being made in this important conversation about public safety. We know that safe storage saves lives. That’s why Columbus Public Health has launched efforts to educate parents and distribute free gun locks, and that’s why the city of Columbus adopted our safe storage ordinance,” Klein said in a statement.
He then addressed his remarks to legislators.
“Ohioans want and support sensible gun laws that protect families and children, but we know that real change cannot happen unless lawmakers find the political will to pass laws that will save lives. This resolution is a step in the right direction and should be applauded. We are committed to working with all legislators who are serious about doing what we can to protect the lives of Ohio’s children.” through common-sense measures such as secure storage,” he added.
Klein and activists like Moms Demand Action want gun storage requirements, universal background checks and red flag laws — all of which Brewer agrees with.
“We hope this is a step in the right direction, a small step,” Brewer said.
The city of Cleveland has clarified some of its campaigns, such as CPD’s Community Relations Unit, which provides gun safety classes to children in schools.
This team also worked with organizations to promote the secure storage and distribution of gun locks. Libraries and schools in Cincinnati are doing something similar.
“The city has also helped promote awareness in other ways, such as turning on the orange light in Tower City for National Gun Violence Awareness Day and coordinating youth pledge signing events, which we will repeat tomorrow,” said spokesman Tyler Sinclair.
“Last year, over 1,000 children signed the pledge at 20 recreation centers in Cleveland. We appreciate the thinking behind the resolution and welcome further tangible action.”
Neither Columbus nor Cleveland addressed the fact that no money would be provided to municipalities or state community partners to promote public awareness of secure storage. The city of Cincinnati did not respond at all to comment.
“Unfortunately, there would be no financial assistance,” Brewer said. “I have a bill again to provide financial assistance to cities that intervene in violence.”
The lawmaker said that because it is just an incentive and not a mandate, his resolution has a better chance of passing the GOP-controlled Legislature.
Leadership
Gov. Mike DeWine appears to have the same agenda as Democrats like Klein, and yet he has signed every bill loosening firearms restrictions that has come across his desk — even after the 2019 mass shooting in Dayton.
After the deadly school shooting in Minneapolis this summer, we asked DeWine about his plans.
“Listen, I’ve tried different things,” the governor told us in August. – And we didn’t manage to beat them.
We tried to contact him on Tuesday to see if he could do anything about secure storage, but he said it was all legislative.
“As far as I know, everything that can be done in terms of safe storage is legislative. Now listen, we’re talking about it, we can talk about the problem,” he replied.
“We want to make people aware of the problem. We have certainly succeeded in doing so. We will continue to do so.”
Some Democrats and supporters are currently pushing for constitutional amendment implement gun safety laws.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau X AND Facebook.
This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and are published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication on other news outlets because it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.
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