The Village of Riverwoods urges residents to securely store firearms to keep them out of the hands of children and teens to prevent unintentional shootings and suicides. In 2020 (the most recent year with available data from the CDC), firearms were the number one cause of death for children and teens ages 1-19 in the United States, taking 4,357 young lives.
If you have children under the age of 14 years old, Illinois law requires you to store firearms in one of the following manners:
- Secured by a device or mechanism, other than the firearm safety, designed to render a firearm temporarily inoperable.
- Placed in a securely locked box or container.
- Placed in some other location that a reasonable person would believe to be secure from a minor under the age of 14 years.
Here are some recommendations on firearms storage and handling that everyone is urged to follow, especially if you have children:
- Store your firearms in a locked cabinet, safe, gun vault, or storage case when not in use, ensuring they are in a location inaccessible to children and cannot be handled by anyone without your permission.
- Use a gun-locking device that renders the firearm inoperable when not in use. A gun lock should be used as an additional safety precaution, not as a secure storage substitute.
- Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use. When you pick up a gun, such as when removing it or returning it to storage, remember to point it in a safe direction and ensure it is unloaded.
- Be sure you know how your firearm operates: read the manual on your firearm, know how to safely open and close the firearm's action, and know how to remove any ammunition from the firearm and its magazine safely.
- Always unload, clean, and place your firearms in their secure storage location immediately after returning from a hunting trip or a day at the range.
Additional resource:
https://besmartforkids.org/
For questions on firearm safety, contact:
Bruce Dayno
Riverwoods Chief of Police
847-945-1130
bdayno@riverwoods.gov
