Safe Gun Storage

Safe Gun Storage Checklist English

Safe Gun Storage Checklist Spanish

Dear Parent/Guardian:

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is dedicated to a safe learning environment at school and at home. In the U.S., gun violence on school campuses is alarming. HISD recognizes that proper gun storage education and laws are essential to ensuring a gun-free campus. To further our efforts to protect students from firearms, and as a courtesy to our families, HISD is informing parents and guardians of the legal obligations to protect minors from negligent gun storage.

There are three steps to ensure safe gun storage:

1. Store firearms unloaded and locked.

2. Store and lock ammunition safely.

3. Keep others from getting access to stored firearms 24/7.

Please see the attached flyer created by https://safegunstoragetexas.com/ for more details on ways to safely store a firearm. In addition, please review the state statute on gun storage laws summarized below:

Texas State Law 46.13: Making a Firearm Accessible to a Child

In Texas, a “child” is defined as a person under the age of 17. The statute indicates that a person commits an offense if a child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm and charges the person with criminal negligence:

(1) failed to secure the firearm; or

(2) left the firearm in a place the person knew or should have known the child would gain access to.

Respectfully,

Shamara Garner

Chief of Police