LEXINGTON, Ky (LEX 18) Lexington Mayor Jim Gray is declaring the summer of 2018 as ‘ASK Summer’ in Lexington, reminding parents to stop and ask if they have unsecured guns in the home.
Emergency room physician Ryan Stanton was one of many at the Government Center to launch the Ask campaign. He said that he knows all too well the reality of seeing a child injured in gun violence.
"Your soul just drops, because in many cases, the parents aren’t wanting to harm their children," said Stanton.
Research shows nine children are shot each day in gun accidents. 1,300 of those accidents turn deadly and 80% of those deaths happen in a home.
Gun safety advocate Anita Franklin suffered the loss of a child due to gun violence and her son, Tony, was not shot in a home, but with a stolen gun.
"It goes hand and hand, secure your guns, lock them up and keep them in a safe place and when people steal your belongings…that’s not one item they’ll be able to retrieve," she said.
Her tragedy is one of many reminders as to why it pays to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to protecting children.
"People need to realize, we don’t want to take away their guns, we just want to secure them and do things to make our children and our families safe," said Lynsey Sugarman with Moms Demand Action.
If you have guns at home and do not have a gun lock, you can get one for free, just call the Lexington-Fayette Health Department during their business hours at (859) 288-2446.
