Kentucky AAP, Whitney/Strong provide gun locks to pediatricians

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – Gun violence prevention non-profit Whitney/Strong has partnered with the Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disabilities to distribute 5,000 gun locks to pediatrician offices across the state of Kentucky.

“As parents and gun owners, we know that responsible gun ownership starts with safe storage of firearms. This is important to prevent accidental firearm deaths and to prevent suicide, which in Kentucky has been the leading cause of death for 10-14 year-olds for the past two years,” said Whitney/Strong founder Whitney Austin. “This program allows us to help pediatricians have important conversations with parents both about the safe storage of their firearms and the warning signs of suicide in their children.”

Safe storage of firearms has been shown to decrease the risk of self-inflicted injury among adolescents. According to the CDC, in 2018, there were 2,501 firearm deaths among children under the age of 18, and 40% of those deaths were the result of suicide.

“We are proud to partner with Whitney/Strong and to be advocates for responsible gun ownership,” said Dr. Scottie B. Day, President of the Kentucky chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “We’re not just physicians – we are parents and Kentuckians and together we all have a responsibility to keep our kids and our communities safe.”

The gun lock giveaway is part of the mission of Whitney/Strong, an organization founded by Whitney Austin, survivor of a mass shooting in Cincinnati in September 2018.

The organization’s mission is to realize fewer lives impacted by gun violence through advocating and executing responsible gun ownership. To donate to this program and learn more about the organization, visit WhitneyStrong.org.

Families wanting to get a free gun lock should consult their pediatrician.