Providence Health & Services
Free gun lock boxes and trigger locks are being distributed from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Cabelas in Tulalip as part of a statewide campaign to encourage safe gun storage in homes.
Supplies are limited and the giveaway will be on a first-come, first-served basis — one item per person, two per household. No I.D. is required.
Safe Kids Snohomish County and the Providence Regional Medical Center Everett have organized the event along with community partners Seattle Children’s Hospital, the Snohomish Health District, Tulalip Tribes Tulalip Cares, Lok-It-Up and Cabela’s.
The giveaway follows seven previous safe gun-storage events that Seattle Children’s has hosted throughout Washington state. To date, more than 2,100 safe gun storage-devices have been handed out.
A statement from Providence said that the hospital is a level II trauma center that’s committed to preventing injuries among youth. At Providence, eight youths were treated for firearm-related injuries in 2015.
“We hope that by raising awareness about the importance of safe gun storage in the home, and by giving parents the tools to safely store their guns, we can help prevent firearm-related incidents and gun violence among children and teens,” the statement said. “We know that the easy access to firearms in a home is a risk factor for firearm-related death and injury.”
At the giveaway, there will also be several spokespeople who can discuss the importance of safe gun storage:
Dr. Mark Del Beccaro, chief medical officer at Seattle Children’s.
Dr. Gary Goldbaum, director, Snohomish Health District.
Shawneri Guzman, injury prevention at Providence and Safe Kids Snohomish County president.
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