Advocates shared tips with Westchester County families about keeping children safe from falling victim to an accidental gun death. 

Moms Demand Action Westchester held a meeting Wednesday evening at the Shames Jewish Community Center in Tarrytown.  They wanted to open up the conversation about safely securing guns, especially when it’s been reported that 4.5 million children live in homes that have guns that are both loaded and unlocked. 

Moms Demand Action Westchester emphasized for parents "Be SMART," which is an acronym that stands for:

"Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in America and this is a new statistic as of 2022,” says Adriana Pentz, of Moms Demand Action Westchester.  

The most recent tragedy happened Monday afternoon in Houston, Texas where a 10-year-old boy managed to get access to a gun and accidentally shot and killed his 8-year-old brother. 

It's these sad events that members of Moms Demand Action Westchester want to prevent. 

"This isn't about whether you should or should not own a gun, this is making sure people are responsible when there is a gun in the home,” says Adriana Pentz, of Moms Demand Action Westchester.  

Jessica Buck, also of Moms Demand Action Westchester, adds, “It's obviously a serious situation because you don't want to make that kind of mistake." 

For more information on gun safety, click here.