Gun Safety

When firearms are present in our homes, it’s crucial to take proactive measures to safeguard our children from accidental shootings. We aim to reduce the number of injuries children suffer each year by focusing on education and awareness. This isn’t about debating the right or wrong of gun ownership; it’s about taking responsible actions to keep kids safe.

Community insights

In June 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the public health crisis of firearm violence in the United States.¹ In 2022, firearm injuries were the leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1 to 19.^2,3From 2021 to 2023, Cook Children’s treated 23 patients for injuries related to firearms and handguns and 44 patients foinjuries related to other gun types (i.e., bb guns, airsoft guns).⁴ Of households with guns in the eight-county primary service area—Collin, Denton, Grayson, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties approximately 1 in 5 children (about 120,300) live in a home with guns that are not always safely locked away.⁵

Gun safety programs

Aim for Safety

Cook Children's Aim for Safety® initiative is designed to help reduce the number injuries we see every year among children through gun safety education.

Aim for Safety

References

¹U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. Surgeon General issues advisory on the public health crisis of firearm violence in the United States. Published 2023. Accessed August 2024. https://www.hhs.gov/

²Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. WONDER – Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research. Provisional mortality statistics. Accessed August 2024. https://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd.html

³Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fast facts: firearm injury and death. Accessed August 2024.https://www.cdc.gov/firearmsafety

⁴Cook Children’s Health Care System, Health Care Analytics. 2024. Accessed September 2024.

⁵Community Health Needs Assessment Report. (2024). Cook Children’s Health Care System. Fort Worth, Texas; or CookChildren’s CHNA 2024 at www.cookchildrens.org/chna (accessed July 2025).