Americans buy guns for their children as gifts

His son Nathan shot his first squirrel when he was 7 years old, then followed his father on many hunting trips in the years that followed. When Nathan turned 16 in December 2012, Mr. Kemp believed his son was responsible enough to own a gun.

“Hunting is a family tradition. Everyone in my family loves hunting. Giving a gun to my child is like a rite of passage in his coming of age ceremony,” said Kemp, now 64 years old, living in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. tell.

Theo CNNmany parents give guns to their children on birthdays or holidays. For some families, a gun symbolizes a new page in their children’s growing up process, and also helps members become closer thanks to their shared interests in guns and hunting.

“Many gun owners see it as part of life and want to pass it on to their children,” said Stephen Gutowski, a firearms instructor.

According to regulations of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), parents or guardians can legally buy guns and ammunition as gifts for minors, for use in recreational purposes. Limited purposes such as livestock raising, shooting practice, hunting.

Coach Gutowski added that many parents may also want to give their child a gun to teach them hunting or to introduce them to sports shooting.

“They want to teach their children how to use guns safely, what to pay attention to when guns are around. For the vast majority, this is a healthy, reasonable thing. They share with their children about guns like any other person. any hobby or sport,” he said.

But as shootings, suicides, and the use of guns to commit crimes by minors have increased in recent years, American parents are having to reconsider the risks of the tradition of giving guns to their children. .

In 2021, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley opened fire at Oxford High School in Michigan, killing four classmates and injuring seven. The suspect’s parents were each sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for manslaughter, after prosecutors accused them of being “extremely negligent” in buying Crumbley a gun four days before the tragedy, ignoring signs of boys’ psychological problems.

In September, 14-year-old Colt Gray used an AR-15-style rifle given to him by his father as a Christmas gift in 2023, shooting indiscriminately at Apalachee High School in Georgia, killing four people and injuring dozens. . Colin Gray, the suspect’s father, is also facing charges of murder and manslaughter.

Most recently, on December 16, Natalie Rupnow, a 15-year-old female student, opened fire at Abundant Life Christian school, killing three people. Police are investigating whether Rupnow’s parents were careless in allowing the suspect to access the weapon used to commit the crime.

Since 2020, guns have become the leading cause of death in American children and teenagers, surpassing traffic accidents. In 2022, guns are the cause of 18% of deaths in children 1-18 years old in the US. Most gun-related deaths among people under 15 years old in the past decade were due to accidents while playing, mistaking guns for toys at home.

However, some legal experts say these cases are exceptional.

“Owning a gun comes with a lot of responsibility. There are safe ways to introduce guns to children, and Americans have done so for generations. Most families who give guns, teach their children how to use them in a responsible way.” Responsibility does not have the above outcomes,” Mr. Gutowski commented.

Days after Paul Kemp of Oregon bought a gun for his son Nathan in 2012, a 22-year-old gunman shot and killed his brother-in-law in a shooting at the Clackamas Town Center mall.

The loss prompted Mr. Kemp to found Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership, a group of gun owners seeking responsible, reasonable gun management solutions to prevent violence.

The group has donated thousands of locked gun storage boxes in the state of Oregon, allowing people to keep their weapons in a safe place. Gun regulations vary by state. Some states require owners to keep guns locked to prevent access by children.

“I learned how to use, store and safely maintain guns very early, thanks to my grandfather and father teaching me. My son, too, also acquired knowledge about guns and the responsibilities when owning and using them. gun from me,” Mr. Kemp said.