Unlocking solutions to gun violence: How gun locks could help prevent some tragedies

Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree still remembers a time about a decade ago when a young child discovered a gun in a gym bag on the floor of his father’s vehicle.

"The man is going down Arlington Street and he hears the gun go off in the back seat and he sees that his child shot himself and he pulls over and he's screaming," Fatheree said. "One of my officers just happened to be in the area and he is on the scene almost immediately after it happened, and he's there watching the father cradle this child in his arms and watching the life leave this child's eyes. There was nothing he could do."

Akron Police Capt. Michael Miller recalls another tragic incident this year in East Akron, where a young child got access to an unsecured gun in a home. Two children, ages 4 and 10, died.

“A gun lock could have prevented the death of both those young individuals and it would have stopped a family or community from grieving and being impacted by a needless death,” he said.

As local officials and community leaders seek solutions to rising gun violence and gunshot fatalities in Akron in recent years, many point to easy access to guns as a contributing factor.

One potential way to mitigate the rising crisis: Promote wider use of gun locks, which block unauthorized users from loading and firing a weapon.

"Any responsible gun owner who is legally allowed to possess a gun should consider owning a gun lock,” Miller said. “They can never hurt. The benefits outweigh any temporary inconvenience.”

Miller had heard from critics of gun locks who say, “I don't want to keep it locked if an emergency happens and I need to quickly access the gun.”

But gun locks protect owners from theft, he said.

"Many people leave guns unattended in locked or unlocked vehicles, they leave in positions inside their homes where they are not secured so a gun lock is definitely something that would minimize the risk of the gun being taken," Miller said.

‘Gun safety is critical’

As youth gun violence continues to plague Akron and communities across the nation, one way that kids are getting guns is by stealing them from their parents, who leave them accessible, unlocked and loaded.

"Gun safety is critical and right now with all the crime that we've got and all the gun violence that we've got in our city and in our nation, people need to understand if they have a gun not only how to use it but how secure it and keep them away from their children and grandchildren," Fatheree said.

Intentional killings or suicides are not the only sources for gun fatalities.

The accidental discharge of the weapons due to improper handling also leads to fatalities. A Nationwide Children's Hospital study shows that more than 90% of unintentional deaths involving kids younger than 15 occurred due to the improper storage of the weapon.

“These kids may think they know how to handle a gun but they don’t,” Fatheree said. “Any gun fatality can be difficult to process for the families or loved ones of the victims, but burying a child who is the victim of an accidental shooting just has to be incredibly gut-wrenching, just unimaginable.”

How do gun locks work?

There are two basic types of gun locks: cable locks and trigger locks.

With a gun cable lock, the gun must be unloaded. After completely unloading the weapon, the cable lock is inserted through the ejection port and comes out through the magazine well on the bottom. The cable lock also can wrap behind the trigger to prevent it from being squeezed.

Trigger locks fit through the trigger guard and can be opened with a key, a combination lock, or with biometric technology that allows for the owner’s fingerprint to access the trigger.

Both types of locks are relatively inexpensive and serve as deterrents for easy access to the weapon, preventing accidental or intentional firing. However, both can be tampered with and render the weapon unsafe.

“The best practice for maximum gun safety is to make the gun both inoperative, meaning the weapon has some sort of locking device on it or is disassembled, as well as inaccessible, meaning the gun is stored away in a safe,” said Jeff Mullins, a retired police officer and an employee at a local gun store.

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Cable locks are able to be used with a wide variety of guns and most gun manufacturers include these types of locks with the newly purchased gun. In order to use the cable lock, the weapon must be unloaded, while the trigger lock still allows for the gun to be loaded.

Not all guns take the trigger lock, and improper installation of the lock may still allow for the firing of the weapon if the gun is loaded, according to Mullins.

Mullins said if a gun owner doesn’t have a lock box, he would recommend purchasing the cable lock over the trigger lock.

“It’s best to keep the weapons out of sight from unwanted users including children, drunken relatives, strangers or those not trained in proper gun safety,” Mullins said. “But when it comes to devices, I believe the cable locks are more versatile and they take away the opportunity to fire the weapon, since they have to be unloaded to be used.”

Gun locks can be purchased for as little as $3.99 on Amazon for basic models that open with a key. More advanced biometric models can cost $60 or more.

How can I get a free gun lock in Summit County?

Summit County Council, working in conjunction with the sheriff's and prosecutor's officers, organized two gun buyback programs in December 2022 and March 2023, where residents were given the opportunity to exchange their firearms for gift cards. Free gun locks were distributed during these programs.

"I've heard some people talk back and forth and saying we are not actually taking any guns off the street, but what I say is the weapons that we are taking off the street is one less gun that could be used to hurt someone else or potentially be stolen or used improperly by a child," Fatheree said. "We not only wanted to take those guns off the street but also educate gun owners and provide them with safety measures to protect themselves and others."

The hundreds of gun locks that were not distributed during these events are still available to the public. Free cable gun locks are available to anyone 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Ohio Building (175 S. Main St.) and in the Pry Building (1180 S. Main St.)  at the Summit County Sherriff's desk.

Gun buybacks: Do gun buybacks curtail violence?

"Executive Shapiro wants to ensure that any resident who wants a gun lock can have one at no cost," said Greta Johnson, chief of staff for Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro. "A gun lock could prevent an unintentional shooting by a child or could provide that extra pause to someone who is truly struggling in a crisis."

Last year, Fatheree and Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Beaven Walsh coordinated on a series of concealed carry weapon workshops around the county where free gun locks were distributed. These workshops were divided into two halves, with one half detailing the new concealed carry laws that went into effect last summer and the other half consisting of gun safety.

According to Fatheree, the Sheriff's and Prosecutor's offices are looking into holding more of these workshops next year.

The Akron Police Department also provides free gun locks to those community partners or residents who are interested in acquiring them.

"We offer the gun locks with some literature on how to safely store the weapons and things of that nature," Miller said. "We largely distribute the gun locks through community events or fairs around the area, but anyone is able to go to call our community relations officer and schedule a time to pick them up if they want to, whether that is a particular agency or even a resident." Call 330-375-2390 to schedule an appointment.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannet.com, or on X, @athompsonABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Gun locks are seen as one potential solution to rising gun deaths