To the editor:

The Leadership of the Bristol Warren Regional School District has done a remarkable job these last two years, prioritizing the health and safety of our kids and staff during the pandemic. They continue to work hard, following recommendations and guidelines of the RI Department of Health, to keep our community safe.

Unfortunately, another national health crisis affecting our children, parents, schools and community is not being addressed as effectively. According to new data from the CDC, firearms are now the leading cause of death for American children under the age of 17. More than 1,800 children under 17 are killed with guns in the U.S. every year. That’s an average of five children per day. In the U.S., some 80 percent of school shooters gained access to firearms left unsecured in their home, a relative’s home or a friend’s home. An estimated 5.4 million children live in households with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm.

In the last month, RI has experienced multiple firearm situations where children were affected. Just last week in Bristol, a shelter-in-place was ordered for a domestic disturbance involving a gun in a neighborhood adjoining the high school while school was in session. In Burrillville, police seized 211 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition strewn throughout the property of a family with three young children. And three weeks ago in Johnston, a 16 year old student accessed an unsecured loaded firearm at a friend’s house and was tragically killed as a result.

What can be done to address this national health crisis? The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers have joined Everytown for Gun Safety in supporting the Be Smart for Kids Campaign’s goal of promoting responsible gun ownership and secure firearm storage. By utilizing resources available from Be Smart for Kids, schools can take proactive steps to promote safer environments for students, families, staff and their community.

I urge every member of the BWRSD community to encourage our school leaders to join Barrington and school districts nationwide that have implemented the Be Smart program promoting secure storage of firearms. Our children need to be a part of the over two million kids nationwide who are safer from gun violence because of the Be Smart for Kids Campaign. You can learn more about this critical program, and investigate available resources at https://besmartforkids.org.

Our kids’, and our, lives could well depend on it.

Susan Morettini
RI Be Smart for Kids
Highland Road
Bristol