As the country recognizes Gun Violence Awareness Month in June, we want to highlight the work of NC S.A.F.E., a statewide initiative that is saving lives through the adoption of safe firearm storage practices. This month is also a painful reminder for many North Carolinians, a reminder of the loved ones who were lost far too soon. Today, and every day, we must recommit ourselves to preventing the gun violence epidemic from spreading further.
Unsecured firearms are a factor in the gun violence epidemic in the United States, and North Carolina is no exception. Forty-two percent of North Carolinians keep a firearm in or around their home, and at least 24% of North Carolinians with loaded firearms at home keep them unlocked.
Unsecured firearms can quickly turn into nightmares for families. Children exploring the house may stumble upon a loaded firearm, or struggling teens may turn to weapons when going through a mental health crisis. Just last month, an 8-year-old in Guilford County was shot and killed when a loaded gun was left unsecured in a home with multiple children. The gun was owned by the child’s older brother, a 19-year-old who is now being charged with failure to safely secure his firearm.
Unfortunately, this story is just one of many. In 2024, guns were the second leading cause of death of children and teens in NC. And in 2025, 176 instances of school-based offenses involving firearms were recorded in North Carolina.
Unsecured firearms aren’t just a threat to children, they’re a threat to the entire community. Between 2019 to 2023, North Carolina ranked 10th in the nation in annual rate of firearm thefts, with an average of 10,876 guns stolen per year. These firearms, frequently stolen from vehicles, often enter illegal circulation and contribute to local violence. Secure storage has a role to play in preventing these thefts.
Former Governor Roy Cooper launched the NC S.A.F.E. initiative on June 5, 2023, because he realized the deadly problem that we have with unsecured guns in this state and country. NC S.A.F.E. (Secure All Firearms Effectively) provides resources and best practices for firearm storage and safety.
NC S.A.F.E. is already making measurable progress. Since June 2023, the initiative has generated more than 85 million public safety impressions– meaning that North Carolinians have received safe storage guidance tens of millions of times through social media, radio, public transit, gas station pumps, and more.
NC S.A.F.E has also distributed over 175,000 lifesaving gun locks and hundreds of gun vaults across the state through juvenile crime prevention councils, barber shops, gun ranges, concealed carry weapons permit instructors, pediatricians, health systems, public health departments, and more. In addition, NC S.A.F.E. has a map on its website of places across NC where someone can take their gun to be stored if they or another person is having a mental health crisis.
Although the program is already having an impact, it needs long-term investment in order to reach its full potential. Investing in safe storage is paying dividends for other states across the U.S. Communities that practice safe storage experience a 59% decrease in unintentional deaths from firearms, and approximately 32% of youth firearm suicide and unintentional deaths could be prevented through safe storage. Sixty-two percent of families improved safe gun storage after firearm counseling and a gun lock.
We commend former Governor Cooper for being a gun violence prevention champion and doing everything that he could via executive order, vetoing dangerous gun bills, and speaking out to highlight the policies and programs that save lives. Governor Josh Stein has continued this work in pushing the NC S.A.F.E. initiative and proclaiming June 1st through the 7th as “NORTH CAROLINA S.A.F.E. WEEK OF ACTION”.
Cooper and Stein have continued to invest in the safety of our communities, but we need more leaders who will join. We ask leadership at the North Carolina General Assembly to join in this fight to protect our communities by funding NC S.A.F.E. in this year’s budget.
Becky Ceartas is the executive director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence.
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