INDIANAPOLIS — In an effort to reduce the number of accidental shootings, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and IMPD distributed free gun locks to Hoosiers.
The effort comes as accidental shootings have increased this year compared to last.
“Sadly, the need appears greater than ever,” Marion County Sheriff’s Office Captain Mitch Gore said.
The gun locks were distributed at New Liberty Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday.
The locks prevent the gun from being able to be fired. To use the gun, you have to unlock it with a key.
“These gun locks are great because they can be used on all common firearm types, like semi-automatic handguns,” Gore said. “You can simply run it up where the magazine goes and secure it that way. Now not only can the slide not move forward to chamber a round, but you can’t even get a magazine in the gun.”
Gore says another way to use the lock is to run it through the barrel of the gun and back out of the slide, this way it doesn’t allow a person to chamber a round.
He says the locks can be used on more than handguns.
“They work on the AR-15 platform — A really common rifle platform,” Gore said. "They also work on the AK platform, so an AK-47.”
He says the locks work on revolvers and shotguns as well.
One person who picked up a free gun lock was Mary Wallace. She’s been a gun owner for several years.
“Gun safety is very important because I have a lot of young grandchildren in my house. I want to make sure they are safe, so they don't pick up my gun, think it's a toy and start shooting,” Wallace said.
Wallace says kids are curious, which is why she locks her guns up and makes sure they aren’t within their reach.
“There are kids of friends I know who have accidentally shot people without trying to. They just see a gun and don’t know if it’s loaded or not,” Wallace said. “I know a lot of us keep our guns loaded because of what’s going on in the world, but we still have to have safety in our homes.”
Those who missed Sunday’s free distribution can still get a gun lock for free at the Indianapolis Public Library or the Family Safety Store, located on the ground floor of Riley Hospital for Children.
