ATWOOD, Ill. — It’s not an unusual sight to see adults practicing on the gun range but what about kids pulling the trigger? After the school shooting in Parkland, Florida and the wave of student marches across the nation, there’s been a lot of people talking about gun control.
Ron Coventry is teaching kids how to properly arm and protect themselves
“My main mission here is to educate kids on firearms.”
He is a trainer for Shooter School Weapons Training site and this is his second time teaching the class. He feels educating kids on guns is important.
“They are bad in the wrong hand. They are dangerous in the wrong hands but in the right hands with the proper training, a gun is a useful tool.”
About 11 kids participated in the class and each of them were paired with an adult. They hope the children will able able to leave a little more knowledgeable about guns.
A study from Journal Pediatrics says gunshot wounds are the third leading cause of death for children aged one to 17. About 1,300 kids in this age group die from gunshot wounds yearly in the U.S.
Some of the students like Lillian Klinger went into the class scared or nervous about touching a gun. But with a little knowledge and time learning how to properly handle it, that changed.
“Once you finally get to know how to use one, you’ll feel more comfortable around it,” she said.
The group is hoping that their efforts will help decrease the number of accidents involving guns.