A 5-year-old girl died Saturday morning in Marshfield, Missouri, after police say she got hold of her father’s gun inside the family’s home on E. Washington St. and accidentally shot herself. Officers responded around 10 a.m. and found the girl deceased at the scene. Marshfield Police Chief Doug Fannen said the gun was not properly secured and that his department is now investigating whether criminal charges are warranted against the father.
For families here on the Suncoast, the case lands close to home in a different way. Our community has a large share of retirees, grandparents, and snowbirds, and many of our households have young children visiting during season, holidays, and summer break. Firearm owners on the Gulf Coast largely take safety seriously, but this story is a reminder of how fast a moment can turn permanent. Child access to unsecured firearms is a leading cause of unintentional shooting deaths among young children nationwide.
The basics don’t change: unload firearms when they’re not in use, lock them, store ammunition in a separate place, and talk to kids directly about what to do if they ever find a gun — stop, don’t touch, tell an adult. If you’re a gun owner and a grandparent, a quick audit of where your firearm lives is a small investment of time that could protect someone you love.
Do you keep a gun in your home, and how do you store it when grandkids come over? We’d like to hear from you.
