Rutgers researchers have released new data on New Jersey gun ownership, including that many owners keep at least one firearm unlocked and loaded in their homes. The new study found that firearm owners see secure storage as ineffective in preventing theft, suicide and unintentional shootings — despite clear evidence to the contrary.
“We all accept a certain level of risk in our lives, but a lot of folks are using sort of faulty information to estimate how much risk is involved in keeping my firearm loaded on my bedside table,” said Mike Anestis, lead author of the study and the executive director at New Jersey’s Gun Violence Research Center.
“We need to do a better job of equipping trusted voices with the ideas that, hey, safe storage, secure storage, can help prevent a lot of other tragedies,” Anestis added in his interview with NJ Spotlight News.
