Photo: Cavan Images / Cavan / Getty Images
A new federal study shows nearly half of all U.S. households are not storing their guns properly.
In fact, 43-percent of households with guns stored them loaded, a safety "no-no," and half of the households that stored loaded firearms did not secure them in a lock box.
This lack of safe storage increases the risk of unauthorized access or use, which can lead to accidents, suicides, and homicides.
It’s crucial for gun owners to safely secure firearms to prevent such incidents.
"Previous research has demonstrated that most fatal unintentional firearm deaths among children and adolescents aged 1–17 years occur in a house or apartment, and that the firearms used were often stored loaded and unlocked and were discharged during play or when showing the firearm to someone else." according to the CDC.
If you’re a gun owner, reduce the risk of a child or intruder accessing your gun by properly securing it.