January 2, 2019, Greensburg—Westmoreland County Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Administration (VA) are partnering to improve public safety in our communities by making gun locks available to veterans. Locks can be picked up at the 2nd floor office at the County Courthouse at 2 N Main Street, Greensburg, PA. No appointment is needed but supplies are limited; please call 724-830-3530 to confirm availability.
“All veterans have been trained extensively on firearm safety. The same can’t be said of every member of a veteran’s household. This initiative provides a simple, cost free way to reduce the chance of a mishap,” said WCVA Director Matt Zamosky
The New England Journal of Medicine found that the major cause of death in children aged 1 to 19 years is neither cancer nor other another medical condition, but injury. The largest cause of injury was motor vehicle crashes; firearms were involved as the 2nd most common cause1. In a recent analysis of U.S. data, among parents who had firearms in their home, nearly half had at least one firearm that was not locked up.2
VA data indicates that of the 20 veterans, on average, who die by suicide daily, approximately 69% of those deaths were by firearms. 3