In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General recognized firearm violence as a critical public health crisis in the United States. Nationwide, firearms have risen to become the number one cause of mortality among children. Data from the CCHSC revealed that between 2024 and 2026, the hospital encountered 121 unintentional firearm injuries, alongside five pediatric fatalities stemming directly from firearm trauma.

The forum focused on community-driven solutions. A recurring consensus emerged among the panelists: sustainable intervention requires bringing the youth into the conversation, acknowledging and resolving the compounding personal traumas they carry before those crises escalate into violence.

Panelist Rodney McIntosh, Pastor and Director of the non-profit organization Violence Intervention and Prevention Fort Worth (VIPFW), urged community members to actively integrate young people into the safety dialogue, equipping them with foundational tools in social-emotional learning and actionable conflict de-escalation tactics.

Daniel Guzman, M.D., an emergency room physician and program director for Cook Children’s Aim for Safety program, brought a frontline medical perspective, illustrating the realities of firearm accidents in the home and emphasizing that responsible storage and education can reduce injury.

The evening closed with a powerful challenge to the audience:

“We challenge you to do something,” said Eric Gonzalez, Program Manager for Injury Prevention at the Center for Community Health at Cook Children’s Health Care System. “Ask your community, schools, family: why wait to have a conversation when we can do this right now?”

Fort Worth leaders urge parents, educators, and neighbors to initiate open, judgment-free discussions about firearm safety within their homes and community. Keep guns secured. Protect your children. Lock up all firearms.

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“As you finalize your plans, remember that safety never takes a vacation,” said Harley Roden, LCDC, program coordinator for injury prevention at the Center for Community Health. 

According to the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment of households with guns in Cook Children’s eight-county service area, approximately one in five children live in a home with guns that are not always safely locked away. In 2025, Cook Children's saw 68 unintentional gun-related injuries, one of which was fatal. Cook Children’s Aim For Safety program focuses on education and outreach about gun safety to decrease the number of youth injured or killed by a gun.  

“Taking a moment now to ensure all guns are securely stored both at home and while traveling prevents a much-needed break from turning into an unplanned trip to the emergency room,” said Roden.  

The Aim for Safety program takes a pro-safety approach, staying away from politics and focusing on preventing unintentional injury. In 2025, the program distributed 488 gun safes and 3,523 cable locks to the community. Families can find cable locks at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth and Prosper emergency departments. To learn more, visit aimforsafety.org or contact injury.prevention@cookchildrens.org with any questions. 

Roden recommends talking to kids about guns and safety. Aim For Safety can provide families with resources like graphic novels and other materials to help with the conversation.   

The program shares these safety tips: 

Safe Storage 

• Store guns unloaded in locked locations and out of reach of children.
• Use cable locks and gun boxes.
• Secure ammunition separately. 

If You See a Gun 

• Stop.
• Don't touch it.
• Run away.
• Tell a trusted adult. 

Safe Play 

• Ask the parents of your child's friends if they have guns in their homes and how they are being stored.
• If you are asked about your guns, don't be offended.
• Never aim BB guns or pellet guns at another person. 

Aim for Safety in the Community: 
LVT Rise: Saturday, March 28 | 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.  
Carrollton: Saturday, May 2 | 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

Lives Impacted by Gun-Related Injuries and Prevention Efforts at Cook Children's 

• In FY 2025, Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth treated 68 gun-related injuries and one fatality.
• In FY 2024, Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth treated 62 gun-related injuries.
• Most non-fatal injuries were caused by air-powered guns (BB guns, airsoft guns, paintball guns, etc.), while most severe or fatal injuries were caused by handguns.  

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“That week highlighted my concern for gun awareness and safety,” Dr. Guzman said. “In one case, the handgun didn’t belong to the family of the injured child. I remember thinking, ‘What can be done about this?’”

Last year, he began the new “Aim for Safety” program at Cook Children’s. The program is a multi-step interactive experience that provides parental awareness and teaches children the steps they should take when they encounter a firearm.

“I think most people think this ‘won’t happen to us’ because we’ve taught our kids to never touch guns,” Dr. Guzman said. “But if you aren’t taking the proper precautions as the adult and parent, it’s probably only a matter of when, not if, your life may be affected by an unintentional discharge involving someone you know, and maybe even your own child.”

Firearm-related fatalities are a top 3 cause of death among children in the United States.

A new article published today in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, looked at changes in firearm ownership among families with young children from 1976 to 2016. And while there has been a decline in firearm ownership over the past 40 years, the firearm-related mortality rates among young children has risen over the past decade.

The authors of the study linked the increase in firearm-related mortality among young children to the types of guns in families’ homes.

In white American households, handguns increased from 49 percent of the total guns owned in 1976 to 72 percent in 2016. Over the past decade, child deaths from firearms have doubled from 0.36 per 100,000 children ages 1 to 4 to 0.63 per 100,000.

“For example, smaller firearms, such as handguns, are easier for young children to handle, given evidence suggesting that children as young as 2 possess the tensile strength to operate a handgun,” the authors wrote.

The data collected came as no surprise to Dr. Guzman.

“One out of every three homes with children in the U.S. has a gun, but sadly the vast majority of these guns are kept unlocked and loaded,” Dr. Guzman said. “Many of these firearms are within reach of a child whose parents believe the child doesn’t know about the weapon or is unable to reach the firearm.”

In Texas, 36 percent of adults have a household firearm and more than 199,000 children currently live with unlocked, loaded firearms in their home.

“Tarrant County has the second highest registered license to carry holders in Texas, second only to Harris County,” Dr. Guzman said. “The potential for injury to a child you may know has grown exponentially, as the number of firearms sold in Texas has skyrocketed."

As a gun owner himself, Dr. Guzman asks you to take the same steps he does to protect children:

• Store firearms unloaded and in locked locations, out of reach of children.
• Use trigger locks and gun boxes.
• Secure ammunition separately.
• Hide gun safe and trigger lock keys.
• Keep unlocked guns in your possession.
• Make sure all guns are equipped with effective, child resistant gun locks.
• If a visitor has a gun in backpack, briefcase, handbag, or unlocked car, provide them with a locked place to keep it while they are in your home.

An important aspect of the Aim for Safety program is telling children what they should do if they come across a gun. If your child sees a gun, teach them to:

• Stop
• Don’t touch
• Run away
• Tell a grown up

Dr. Guzman said, because of children’s natural curiosity, they are at the greatest risk of unintentional deaths, injuries and even suicides in the teen population. Because of this, much of the emphasis of the Aim for Safety program is for the adults to take responsibility for a child’s safety.

While it’s a life-saving approach to secure your own guns and to talk to children about what to do if they see a gun, Dr. Guzman said many parents are uncomfortable to talk to other families about this issue.

Before your child’s next visit to a friend, Dr. Guzman advices you ask the parents of your child’s friends if they have guns in their homes and how they are being stored.

“Do you know where your children go to play,” Dr. Guzman said. “Would you ask the parents of your children’s friends if they have guns in their home and if they are secured? Most parents don’t ask those questions, even though they could mean the difference between life and death.”