Negligent gun storage to blame in Fresno, Merced fatal shootings involving toddlers | Opinion

A loaded firearm left carelessly near a 2-year-old toddler is a deadly combination, as families in Fresno and Merced shockingly discovered within three weeks.

On Nov. 22, a 2-year-old girl picked up an unregistered “ghost gun” in the bedroom of an apartment in central Merced and fatally shot herself. Her father, 20-year-old Zaquan Woodard, has been charged with felony child abuse.

On Dec. 9, a 2½-year-old child got a hold of a 9mm handgun in the bedroom of an apartment near Fresno State and fatally shot his mother, 22-year-old Jessinya Mina. The gun owner, Andrew Sanchez, Mina’s 18-year-old boyfriend, was booked in Fresno County Jail on suspicion of felony child endangerment and felony criminal storage of a firearm.

The Fresno County District Attorney Office filed two felony child abuse charges and a charge of criminal storage of a firearm against Sanchez. He faces up to 8 years in state prison if convicted of all charges.

In both cases, the parents were relaxing in the bedroom alongside the toddlers in the minutes leading to the fatal shootings, according to police reports. How were the toddlers able to get access to the firearms and pull the trigger? Why were the guns not under lock and key, or at least unloaded?

On Dec. 2, San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies responded to a shooting at a Rancho Cucamonga shopping center where 7- and 2-year-old brothers found a firearm in the glove box of a truck. The younger brother died of a gunshot wound.

Tuesday, state District Attorney Rob Bonta rightfully took action.

“Unfortunately, there has been a rise in accidental and preventable deaths,” said Bonta in a press release calling on gun owners to be more responsible. “We are seeing reports weekly of children accessing guns that are not being properly stored. We respect responsible gun owners who take action to safeguard themselves and loved ones from these horrific tragedies.”

Storing firearms in safe and secure gun storage, said Bonta, saves lives.

National data on firearms and children is sobering.

The National Violent Death Reporting System, an arm of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that children 0-5 represented 29% of unintentional firearm deaths in the U.S. from 2003 to 2021. The largest percentage, 33%, happened among children ages 11-15.

About half of unintentional firearm deaths among children and adolescents happen at home, said the CDC. And, the CDC said, 44% of firearms involved in those deaths belonged to a parent of the shooter.

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens ages 1-19 in the U.S., the CDC said.

In 2024, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, there have been 234 unintentional shootings by children. That has led to 89 deaths and 151 injuries nationally.

State bills will help, but not until 2026

Proper storage of firearms can reduce fatalities in shootings involving children. The state Legislature found that 75% of school shootings are facilitated by children having access to firearms at home, and that 87% of children know where parents store their firearms. Eighty percent of teens who have committed suicide used a firearm belonging to someone in their home, the Legislature said.

Bonta hopes two bills that go into effect in 2026 – yes, in one more year – will help reduce such incidents. A state Senate bill will require a person who keeps a firearm at home to keep it securely stored when it is not being carried or used. An Assembly bill will require makers of firearm safety devices to mark their products with information to help consumers in the event of a recall of theft.

In the meantime, Bonta suggests people take these steps to keep you and your family safe:

▪ Store guns and ammunition separately.

▪ Use a California-approved firearms safety device on the gun, such as a trigger or cable lock, so it can’t be misfired.

▪ Store firearms in a locked container.

▪ Use a locking device and a locked container for maximum safety.

This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 11:00 AM.