“Protect the kids first:” City leaders stress gun safety following deaths of 5-year-olds

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Community leaders are stressing the importance of gun safety after two children were fatally shot across southeast Wisconsin this week.

Milwaukee’s Office of Violence Prevention wants adults across the area to know the importance of gun safety and gun locks.

Milwaukee Police are investigating after a 5-year-old boy was found shot dead on Tuesday. A chaplain working with the family believes the boy accidentally shot himself.

In Kenosha, two men could face charges for the shooting death of a 5-year-old on Monday. One of the men could be charged with homicide by negligent handling of a firearm and the other could be charged with leaving a loaded firearm within reach or access of a child.

Community leaders say this is a preventable problem.

“What we say is protect the children first,” Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention director Reggie Moore said. “You may have made a decision to have a firearm in your home to protect your family or to protect your home and basically we want to stress is protect the kids first, and that that means is being responsible, keeping it stored in a safe and secure location.”

According to Milwaukee Police, there has been 19 non-fatal and one fatal shooting of people under 17-years-old so far in 2019. MPD does not include self-inflicted gunshots.

More information on gun safety from the Office of Violence Prevention can be found here.