Be SMART for Kids
@besmartforkids.bsky.social
The Be SMART campaign aims to prevent suicides, school shootings, and unintentional shootings by children and teens - by promoting secure firearm storage.
Secure firearm storage means guns should always be inaccessible to kids—that means storing them unloaded, locked, and separated from ammunition.
Learn more about secure firearm storage at besmartforkids.org
Learn more about secure firearm storage at besmartforkids.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Secure firearm storage means guns should always be inaccessible to kids—that means storing them unloaded, locked, and separated from ammunition.
Learn more about secure firearm storage at besmartforkids.org
Learn more about secure firearm storage at besmartforkids.org
That's roughly one shooting per day. Unintentional shootings by children aren't accidental—they're preventable.
#BeSMART helps parents and other adults normalize having conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent unintentional shootings by children.
#BeSMART helps parents and other adults normalize having conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent unintentional shootings by children.
November 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
That's roughly one shooting per day. Unintentional shootings by children aren't accidental—they're preventable.
#BeSMART helps parents and other adults normalize having conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent unintentional shootings by children.
#BeSMART helps parents and other adults normalize having conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent unintentional shootings by children.
A 7-year-old boy fatally shot himself last week after unintentionally discharging an unsecured firearm that he found while at a short-term rental property in Columbus, Ohio.
Tragedies like this are preventable with secure storage.
https://etwn.us/3WBnM8o
Tragedies like this are preventable with secure storage.
https://etwn.us/3WBnM8o
Boy, 7, killed after finding gun, accidentally discharging it near Grandview Heights
Columbus police are investigating a tragic incident where a 7-year-old boy accidentally shot himself after finding an unattended firearm at a short-term rental.
etwn.us
November 3, 2025 at 2:56 PM
A 7-year-old boy fatally shot himself last week after unintentionally discharging an unsecured firearm that he found while at a short-term rental property in Columbus, Ohio.
Tragedies like this are preventable with secure storage.
https://etwn.us/3WBnM8o
Tragedies like this are preventable with secure storage.
https://etwn.us/3WBnM8o
Happy Halloween! 👻 Be SMART volunteers have been talking to parents and caregivers about secure firearm storage at festive events across the country all month.
Talking about how and where guns are stored in their home doesn’t have to be scary! We’ve made it easy: https://etwn.us/47wsSrs
Talking about how and where guns are stored in their home doesn’t have to be scary! We’ve made it easy: https://etwn.us/47wsSrs
October 31, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Happy Halloween! 👻 Be SMART volunteers have been talking to parents and caregivers about secure firearm storage at festive events across the country all month.
Talking about how and where guns are stored in their home doesn’t have to be scary! We’ve made it easy: https://etwn.us/47wsSrs
Talking about how and where guns are stored in their home doesn’t have to be scary! We’ve made it easy: https://etwn.us/47wsSrs
Gun thefts from vehicles are the largest source of stolen guns. Storing guns securely in cars is essential to protecting your communities, your family, and yourself.
Learn more about why—and how—firearms should be secured in vehicles: https://etwn.us/4785Oz0
Learn more about why—and how—firearms should be secured in vehicles: https://etwn.us/4785Oz0
Secure Gun Storage in Cars | Be SMART
Adapted from Gun Thefts from Cars: The Largest Source of Stolen Guns In the United States, the majority of gun homicides and assaults involve stolen or Cars parked at residences are the most common so...
etwn.us
October 16, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Gun thefts from vehicles are the largest source of stolen guns. Storing guns securely in cars is essential to protecting your communities, your family, and yourself.
Learn more about why—and how—firearms should be secured in vehicles: https://etwn.us/4785Oz0
Learn more about why—and how—firearms should be secured in vehicles: https://etwn.us/4785Oz0
Our Alaska Be SMART volunteers encourage secure firearm storage that takes into account Alaska's unique relationship with firearm ownership.
Read more about their incredible work here: https://etwn.us/4nGJkwc #besmart
Read more about their incredible work here: https://etwn.us/4nGJkwc #besmart
Spreading the Be SMART Message in Alaska: ‘If We Can Prevent Even One Child Death, Then It Is Our Responsibility to Do So’
Gun ownership in Alaska is deeply intertwined with family, tradition, and a sense of protection. It is possible to balance hunting and gun ownership traditions with keeping kids and loved ones safe.
etwn.us
October 7, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Our Alaska Be SMART volunteers encourage secure firearm storage that takes into account Alaska's unique relationship with firearm ownership.
Read more about their incredible work here: https://etwn.us/4nGJkwc #besmart
Read more about their incredible work here: https://etwn.us/4nGJkwc #besmart
Recognizing the role of guns in suicide is critical, and it’s clear that means matter―among commonly used methods of self-harm, firearms are by far the most lethal.
Removing access to firearms is the one of the most important interventions adults can take to prevent suicide by children and teens.
Removing access to firearms is the one of the most important interventions adults can take to prevent suicide by children and teens.
September 29, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Recognizing the role of guns in suicide is critical, and it’s clear that means matter―among commonly used methods of self-harm, firearms are by far the most lethal.
Removing access to firearms is the one of the most important interventions adults can take to prevent suicide by children and teens.
Removing access to firearms is the one of the most important interventions adults can take to prevent suicide by children and teens.
Research shows that an overwhelming majority of child firearm suicides take place in or around a home, and nearly 80% of these incidents involve a gun belonging to a family member.
September 25, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Research shows that an overwhelming majority of child firearm suicides take place in or around a home, and nearly 80% of these incidents involve a gun belonging to a family member.
Reposted by Be SMART for Kids
The onus is on ADULTS to ensure children don’t access firearms. Be SMART for Kids: Assume curious children can and will find guns and store them unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition.
Learn more about the importance of secure gun storage at besmartforkids.org.
Learn more about the importance of secure gun storage at besmartforkids.org.
Be SMART | Secure Gun Storage
Be SMART raises awareness that secure gun storage — storing guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition — can save children’s lives. Learn more and join us.
besmartforkids.org
September 22, 2025 at 12:10 AM
The onus is on ADULTS to ensure children don’t access firearms. Be SMART for Kids: Assume curious children can and will find guns and store them unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition.
Learn more about the importance of secure gun storage at besmartforkids.org.
Learn more about the importance of secure gun storage at besmartforkids.org.
Reposted by Be SMART for Kids
You read that right—a FIRST GRADER is facing a YEAR-LONG suspension for bringing a gun to school. No mention of who the gun belonged to or how the child gained access to it.
First grader suspended for bringing gun to school, officials say
A first-grade student has been suspended after a handgun was found in his possession Thursday at Pembroke Elementary School.
wpde.com
September 22, 2025 at 12:10 AM
You read that right—a FIRST GRADER is facing a YEAR-LONG suspension for bringing a gun to school. No mention of who the gun belonged to or how the child gained access to it.
School, relationships, anxiety, depression, and social media are just some of the stressors young people experience today.
September 18, 2025 at 1:03 PM
School, relationships, anxiety, depression, and social media are just some of the stressors young people experience today.
Our Maryland Be SMART volunteers on the Eastern Shore have been collaborating with various departments of health to spread the life-saving message of secure firearm storage.
September 17, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Our Maryland Be SMART volunteers on the Eastern Shore have been collaborating with various departments of health to spread the life-saving message of secure firearm storage.
Guns are the number one killer of children in the US. What you may not know is that nearly one-third of child gun deaths are suicides, and over the past decade, the firearm suicide rate among young people has increased faster than among any other age group.
September 12, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Guns are the number one killer of children in the US. What you may not know is that nearly one-third of child gun deaths are suicides, and over the past decade, the firearm suicide rate among young people has increased faster than among any other age group.
More than 700 children under 18 living in the US die by gun suicide every year. The dynamics of suicide are complex, but one thing is clear: Easy access to a gun can make the difference between life and death.
September 8, 2025 at 1:01 PM
More than 700 children under 18 living in the US die by gun suicide every year. The dynamics of suicide are complex, but one thing is clear: Easy access to a gun can make the difference between life and death.
As the mother of two students who survived a school shooting, Emily Schiltz knows all too well the lasting impact a school shooting has on a family and a community.
She and others volunteers planned a week of events during SMART Week to spread the word about the importance of secure gun storage.
She and others volunteers planned a week of events during SMART Week to spread the word about the importance of secure gun storage.
September 5, 2025 at 2:30 PM
As the mother of two students who survived a school shooting, Emily Schiltz knows all too well the lasting impact a school shooting has on a family and a community.
She and others volunteers planned a week of events during SMART Week to spread the word about the importance of secure gun storage.
She and others volunteers planned a week of events during SMART Week to spread the word about the importance of secure gun storage.
Be SMART Visionaries exemplify the very best of what the program stands for. They have reached new members of their communities, developed innovative approaches to education and outreach, and embedded Be SMART as a foundational value where they live and lead.
September 3, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Be SMART Visionaries exemplify the very best of what the program stands for. They have reached new members of their communities, developed innovative approaches to education and outreach, and embedded Be SMART as a foundational value where they live and lead.
Thanks to everyone for making SMART Week a success! Over 1000 volunteers in 43 states came out to more than 500 #BeSMART events across the US, and advocates and partners at the local, state, & national levels teamed up to help us spread awareness about the critical importance of secure gun storage.
September 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Thanks to everyone for making SMART Week a success! Over 1000 volunteers in 43 states came out to more than 500 #BeSMART events across the US, and advocates and partners at the local, state, & national levels teamed up to help us spread awareness about the critical importance of secure gun storage.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This month, we will call attention to the devastating impact of firearm suicide on young people in the US, and provide information about what we can do to prevent it.
September 1, 2025 at 12:03 PM
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This month, we will call attention to the devastating impact of firearm suicide on young people in the US, and provide information about what we can do to prevent it.
SMART Week has come to an end but it's vitally important to continue to educate others about the importance of secure gun storage year round. Text SMART to 644-33 to learn how you can become more involved.
August 29, 2025 at 4:04 PM
SMART Week has come to an end but it's vitally important to continue to educate others about the importance of secure gun storage year round. Text SMART to 644-33 to learn how you can become more involved.
The letter T in #BeSMART stands for telling your friends and neighbors to Be SMART.
Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the US. We can’t afford to stay silent.
Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the US. We can’t afford to stay silent.
August 29, 2025 at 12:01 PM
The letter T in #BeSMART stands for telling your friends and neighbors to Be SMART.
Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the US. We can’t afford to stay silent.
Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the US. We can’t afford to stay silent.
School shootings are every parent’s nightmare. We’ve seen time and again that when guns aren’t properly stored, tragedy can strike—and the research backs that up. In fact, roughly 76 percent of school shooters under 18 gained access to the gun used from the home of a parent or close family member.
August 28, 2025 at 4:02 PM
School shootings are every parent’s nightmare. We’ve seen time and again that when guns aren’t properly stored, tragedy can strike—and the research backs that up. In fact, roughly 76 percent of school shooters under 18 gained access to the gun used from the home of a parent or close family member.
In incidents of school shootings, data shows that shooters are often current or former students and that the guns they use are most often obtained from their home or the homes of their relatives. Securing guns plays a huge role in keeping our schools safe.
August 27, 2025 at 4:03 PM
In incidents of school shootings, data shows that shooters are often current or former students and that the guns they use are most often obtained from their home or the homes of their relatives. Securing guns plays a huge role in keeping our schools safe.
Thank you, Allison, for using your platform to share the Be SMART message in your community!
Albemarle County School Board member Allison Spillman, a 2025 @besmartforkids.bsky.social Visionary honoree, talked to @29news.bsky.social about #SMARTWeek and options for secure firearm storage.
Community Conversation: Allison Spillman with Albemarle County Public Schools (08-25-25)
At-Large School Board Representative Allison Spillman
www.29news.com
August 26, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Thank you, Allison, for using your platform to share the Be SMART message in your community!
Homes aren’t the only place that children can access unsecured guns. With alarming regularity, kids access and discharge guns that have been stored under a car seat, in an unlocked glove box or center console, or in a car door compartment.
August 26, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Homes aren’t the only place that children can access unsecured guns. With alarming regularity, kids access and discharge guns that have been stored under a car seat, in an unlocked glove box or center console, or in a car door compartment.
The letter M in #BeSMART stands for modeling responsible behavior around guns. Every law-abiding adult has the right to decide whether or not to have a gun in the home. But you can’t be sure that curious or impulsive kids will not find and handle guns, even if you believe they are hidden well.
August 26, 2025 at 12:01 PM
The letter M in #BeSMART stands for modeling responsible behavior around guns. Every law-abiding adult has the right to decide whether or not to have a gun in the home. But you can’t be sure that curious or impulsive kids will not find and handle guns, even if you believe they are hidden well.