Coates+FAQ+3

People think that having a gun in their home will protect them from criminals, but many people misure guns in their homes. The three most common ways people misuse them in homes are when the guns are used in accidental shootings, crimes of passion, and suicide. Accidental shootings happen a lot. A young child can get a hold of a gun and accidentally  shoot a family member or friend. A parent could mistake their own child for a burglar in the middle of the night. A young adult could be cleaning their gun and accidentally  shoot themselves or someone nearby. However, shooting doesn’t  have to be accidental. Crimes of passion are when someone purposely commits a gun-related crime against another person. Some experts claim that having a gun in your home makes it three times more likely that someone will be murdered there. Suicides are also very common. A person who is depressed is more likely to commit suicide if there is a gun in their home. Over forty percent of households in the U.S. contain a gun. Unfortunately, there are a lot of risks with keeping a gun at home. If a burglar broke into someone ’ s house, the gun could be stolen by the criminal and used in another violent crime. Plus, if the burglar has more gun handling experience than the victim, it is likely the gun in their home could be used against them. A gun in a home could also be found by a small child, used irresponsibly by its owners, or used in the heat of a family argument. Most handgun murders are committed by normal people in the heat of an argument, which shows that guns in homes are more likely used to hurt family members than to protect them. Back to Gun Control FAQ's

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