Firearm safety group hands out gunlocks

A national firearm safety group is distributing a quarter of a million free gun locks in Iowa this month. Iowa Lieutenant Governor Sally Pedersen says the objective is to prevent tragedies that can occur when a loaded firearm accidentally gets in the hands of a child. Pedersen held a news conference at the capitol this morning to encourage gun owners to take advantage of the program. Pedersen says just as we put safety caps on aspirin and other drugs that can be harmful in the hands of children, the “Project Safe Child” kit contains a gun lock that will prevent a gun from being fired. Pedersen says it’s simple to use, and works on a variety of common firearms. “Project Safe Child” organizers say the locks work on 95 percent of all rifles, handguns and shotguns. The group’s spokesperson, Dee Dee Dockins, says the product has already saved the life of a five-year-old Arizona girl after her family put a lock on a previously loaded revolver they kept in the bedroom nightstand. The five-year-old’s mother was tending to a younger sibling in the bathroom when Shelby, the five-year-old, was looking for change in the nightstand and discovered the gun. If you’d like a free gun lock, call your local sheriff’s office or check out the group’s website — www.projectchildsafe.org.