There's been a wave of guns at Coastal Bend schools. Here's how to keep guns safe at home.

It is illegal to carry a firearm on school property in Texas. It is also illegal under federal law to sell a handgun to anyone under the age of 18.

And yet, Corpus Christi-area schools have found guns in the hands of children and teens multiple times since the 2022-23 school year began.

Since August, several area schools have gone into lockdown after students brought guns to school. They included two students at Moody High School, who were detained by Corpus Christi ISD police and face charges; a Calallen High School student who was also detained; a student at Los Encinos Elementary School; and a 4-year-old at West Oso ISD's John F. Kennedy Elementary who brought a loaded gun.

Security staff quickly secured the weapon from the 4-year-old, and after investigation, the Corpus Christi Police Department arrested the child's father on suspicion of making a firearm accessible to a child and endangering a child. Children under the age of 10 cannot be charged.

"The 4-year-old was not at fault," CCPD Senior Officer Gena Peña said. "It was the negligence of the parent that allowed that weapon to be taken to school."

No shots were fired and no one was injured in any of the incidents, but local law enforcement recommend that all citizens safely secure and store their firearms, keeping them out of the hands of children.

During the 2019-20 school year in the U.S., 2% of public schools, including 6.9% of high schools, took at least one serious disciplinary action for the use or possession of a firearm or explosive device, according to the School Survey on Crime and Safety.

The most recent year for which data is currently available is 2019-20. A total of 2,431 students, including 150 in Texas, possessed a firearm at school, according to another U.S. Department of Education dataset.

Risks

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children under the age of 19 in the U.S. In 2020, 4,357 children and teenagers died of gun violence. For years, the child and teen firearm mortality rate has been on the rise, up from 3.1 per 100,000 people 19 and under in 2013 to 5.6 in 2020. For all ages in Texas, the mortality rate is higher — 14.2 per 100,000 people.

Most firearms deaths are murders or suicides, but hundreds of Americans also die each year due to gun accidents.

In 2017, a 2-year-old died in Corpus Christi after shooting himself with a gun that had been left out by a parent. In 2002, a 13-year-old died in an accidental shooting in Corpus Christi after he and another teen found a rifle.

Making a weapon accessible to a child is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, but if a child is in immediate danger of death, bodily injury or physical or mental impairment, then that falls under a felony charge of child abandonment and endangerment. The felony charges can result in up to two years in jail or a fine of up to $10,000.

"It could be intentionally, recklessly, negligently or knowingly," Peña said.

Gun safety tips and resources

Peña said law enforcement recommends gun owners secure weapons in a location away from children. Weapons and ammunition should be stored separately, she said.

"Above all, educate your children about the dangers of guns and gun safety and weapons in general," Peña said. "It does not supersede securing weapons. That's the No. 1 thing to do. Kids are curious — they're going to come across things and they may not be able to ascertain whether it's real or fake. They might think it's a toy or they just don't know."

Kenneth Lease, owner of Hold The Line firearms training, said his classes cover safe storage and locking with a focus on how to keep children safe.

"Hiding a gun is not what we consider safe storage," Lease said. "If you've ever hidden a Christmas present from your children, you know they find it. They can smell that mystery.

"It only takes a moment to turn your back and an accident (could) occur."

Lease said gun owners should consider not just the safety of children who live in the home, but also visitors. Before his grandchildren visit, Lease always goes through his home to make sure all of his weapons are safely secured.

Keep ’Em Safe Texas, a campaign of the Texas Department of Public Safety, has three recommendations for gun storage:

• Guns should be stored unloaded and secured with a trigger lock, biometric lock, gun case, strong box, gun cabinet or gun safe.

• Ammunition should be stored and locked safely.

• Access to firearms should be restricted at all times to keep others from gaining access, including family, friends, children or other visitors.

Cable and trigger locks are both widely available. A cable lock blocks the barrel of a firearm from locking into position, preventing firing. A trigger lock prevents the trigger from being pulled. Both use keys or combination locks.

Biometric locks, which are customized with fingerprint technology, allow for only authorized users to handle a gun.

Peña said CCPD also discourages storing guns in vehicles.

"We don't want somebody breaking into a vehicle, stealing a weapon and using it for some sort of criminal offense," she said.

Beyond the scope of accidents, if someone is concerned that their child might attempt to gain access to a weapon, posing a threat to others, they should contact police, Peña said.

"If you see something, say something," Peña said. "We'd rather investigate it and determine it isn't anything of value than to not and then have something happen. We don't want to have that regret. We don't want anyone to have that regret."

What are the Texas laws for carrying guns?

Last year, Texas changed firearm carry laws to allow for the unlicensed carrying of handguns. The law change created a lot of confusion about legal carry, Lease said, and initially he saw a drop in the number of people seeking training.

"The problem was people have no idea what the laws are ... and where they cannot carry," Lease said.

A common misconception is that anyone can carry a gun anywhere, but that is not true. There are still places where only licensed handgun owners are allowed to carry their weapons.

Schools and colleges have different rules for unlicensed and licensed carry, and owners of businesses and private properties have some discretion over whether to allow prohibit unlicensed carry, open carry by license holders or concealed carry.

Texans might also need a state license to carry in order to carry their handgun in other states.

To get a license, gun owners must first complete a four- to six-hour course on weapons and deadly force laws, handgun use and safety, nonviolent dispute resolution and safe storage, as well as pass an examination by a certified instructor.

More:Four-year-old student brings weapon to West Oso ISD's Kennedy Elementary School

More:Corpus Christi ISD reports another incident of student bringing gun to school in past week

More: Permitless carry is the law of the land, but handgun training, licenses offer advantages

More:Texas bill to allow unlicensed handgun carrying 'a recipe for disaster,' firearms trainers say

More:2-year-old's death ignites gun safety discussion

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Guns in schools: Here are tips for keeping guns away from children