Be SMART Program Celebrates 10 Years of Life-Saving Work

One Decade In, Be SMART Has Grown to Drive Hundreds of Initiatives with Law Enforcement, Public Health, and More to Promote Secure Gun Storage Nationwide

NEW YORK – Today, Be SMART, a program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund (“the Everytown Support Fund”), celebrated 10 years of life-saving work promoting secure storage and responsible gun ownership. Be SMART helps parents and other adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take simple steps to prevent child gun deaths, injuries, and trauma, and improve public safety. Over the past decade, Be SMART has become a force for change across the country, driving hundreds of initiatives with schools, hospitals, law enforcement, public health, community partners, corporate brands, and more.

“Volunteer leaders across the country have worked tirelessly to change the culture around gun safety and turn awareness into action,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “Whether it’s a quick text between parents before a playdate or a statewide public health partnership, Be SMART has spent the last decade showing up, growing with the moment, and staying rooted in the long-term goal of protecting the people and neighborhoods we love.”

“I’ve seen the damage that a gun will do when it’s left unsecured. I’ve seen people lose their lives over it,” said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott in South Carolina. Be SMART is currently working on 50 collaborative initiatives with law enforcement agencies across the country. “You have to be a responsible gun owner. That is how we can protect our children and protect adults. It is up to all of us to do that.”

“Living in a state where firearm ownership is part of everyday life, I know just how important it is to talk openly about secure storage,” said Dr. Johanna Thomas, a Moms Demand Action volunteer, gun owner, college professor and Licensed Certified Social Worker in Arkansas. Dr. Thomas has been educating individuals, health agencies, communities, and fellow social workers on gun violence prevention and the importance of secure gun storage through Be SMART for more than five years. “When we lead with care and common sense, we can put a stop to preventable tragedies. After 10 years, Be SMART is still growing because it meets people where they are, with respect and responsibility. Here’s to the next 10.”

What began in 2015 as a simple message about gun safety has grown into a powerful, nationwide, community-driven movement for secure gun storage. The program encourages parents and adults to: 

• Secure all guns in their home and vehicles
• Model responsible behavior around guns
• Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes
• Recognize the role of guns in suicide
• Tell your peers to be SMART including:

The program has brought together people from all walks of life, including:

• National partnerships with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, which has reached more than 20 cities and distributed hundreds of gun locks and key information about secure storage to thousands of residents; the Presbyterian Church, which has made Be SMART materials and trainings available to its more than one million individual members who belong to more than 8,500 member congregations; the National PTA, which has been a Be SMART partner since its inception in 2015 and has elevated Be SMART as part of their comprehensive approach to school safety; 
• Nearly 60 statewide initiatives including in Louisiana, where the Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families, Louisiana Child Death Review, and Louisiana American Academy of Pediatrics launched a statewide partnership to distribute state-specific Be SMART materials with support from the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association, Louisiana Department of Child & Family Services, and the Louisiana Department of Education; in Alaska, where the Association of Alaska School Boards adopted a statewide resolution for Alaskan public schools and school boards to encourage Be SMART education and the distribution of secure storage information at the Alaska Federation of Natives Conference; and in Texas, where Texas Children’s Pediatrics, one of the largest children’s hospitals in the United States, includes the Be SMART message on patient’s after-visit summary in 65 locations; 
• Nearly 300 local initiatives including in Virginia, where the Alexandria City Sheriff’s Office incorporated Be SMART trainings into its student deputy program to emphasize responsible firearm storage; in Arkansas, where pediatricians at Northwest Arkansas Pediatrics MANA provide Be SMART materials and gun locks during wellness visits; and in Oregon, where West Linn police officers carry gun locks and Be SMART cards in their vehicles.
• Thanks to the hard work of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers nationwide, particularly Be SMART volunteers, at the start of this school year for the first time, more than 11 million students across the country live in districts that requires schools to educate parents about the critical role of secure firearm storage in keeping students safe. Secure storage notification policies let schools send home information to parents about the importance of secure gun storage. 

Today also marks one decade since the launch of Everytown Support Fund’s #NotAnAccident Index, a one-of-a-kind research database that collects information from media reports about incidents in which a child under 18 unintentionally shoots themself or someone else. From 2015 through 2024, the #NotAnAccident Index tracked 3,580 unintentional shootings by children ages 17 and younger, resulting in 1,382 people killed and 2,317 people wounded. Of the 10 years for which Everytown has tracked unintentional shootings by children, 2023 saw the highest number of incidents—surpassing 400 for the first time. 2024 saw a substantial 12 percent decrease in incidents following the record high in 2023.

Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. Every year, nearly 360 children under the age of 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else, like a sibling, parent, or friend. That’s roughly one unintentional shooting per day. For more information on secure firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visit BeSMARTforkids.org. Additional information about unintentional shootings by children can be found here, facts and resources about child gun suicide can be found here, and information about gunfire on school grounds can be found here.

To speak with a research expert or a local volunteer with Moms Demand Action about Be SMART, please reach out to [email protected].