The reports for May are consistent with expectations for a time when families are home together in a society that overvalues the need for guns in the home. Children unexpectedly home from school found guns, and shot themselves, their siblings or others far too often. Reports describe accidents in which at least 14 children died. Several other children were injured.
These deaths and injuries continue a yearlong trend. According to data reported by Everytown for Gun Safety, there have been at least 127 unintentional shootings by children this year alone, resulting in 43 deaths and 88 injuries.
At the same time, some of our May reports suggest circumstances in which boredom may have led to young adults too eager to show off their weapons to their friends and others. Accidents and deaths resulted.
More often, we need to ask the question: How can we make guns more safe? Certainly, one answer is to insist that manufacturers design guns that are almost impossible for a toddler to fire. Heavier trigger pulls, longer trigger distances, and effective manual safeties would be a good start. Second, guns need to be unloaded and locked up when not in use. No self-defense need justifies leaving a loaded gun lying around where children have access to it.