Under a white tent just outside the Durham County Courthouse on Monday, public-health staff and community volunteers quietly worked through a big safety goal, handing out free gun locks and walking neighbors through the basics of storing firearms securely. The one-day push put 175 locks into residents’ hands as part of a broader state-level effort to keep guns out of reach of children and visitors. Officials at the event, along with a pediatrician, warned that a single unsecured weapon can turn an ordinary afternoon into a lifelong tragedy for a family.
According to ABC11, the Durham County Department of Public Health set up near a local vendor at the corner of South Dillard and Mangum streets and distributed 175 free gun locks on Monday. Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry told attendees, “We have parents, friends or caregivers of children who get charged because they have an unsecured gun in their home,” underscoring both the human cost and the legal stakes. Local vendor Natasha Fields, a mother of three who said she already keeps her own firearms locked, welcomed the extra devices for neighbors who might not yet have one.
What officials are doing
The Durham event is tied to NC S.A.F.E. (Secure All Firearms Effectively), a statewide campaign that combines public-health outreach with free locking devices and storage education for gun owners. NC S.A.F.E. partners with law-enforcement agencies and health organizations to get locks into communities, and state leaders have said the program has moved large quantities of devices across North Carolina. Reporting from WRAL notes that the campaign has distributed tens of thousands of gun locks as part of that work.
Scope of the problem
Advocates point to national data to explain why these giveaways matter. Research from Everytown shows its #NotAnAccident index has tracked unintentional shootings by children across the country since 2015, documenting hundreds of incidents, including more than a hundred in North Carolina alone. Public-health experts say most of these shootings happen in or around homes, which is why something as simple as a lock or a locked safe is treated as a key step in preventing disaster.
Legal risks and community warnings
Beyond the emotional fallout, prosecutors and criminal-justice experts note that adults can face charges when a child gains access to an unsecured gun. WRAL has reported that charging decisions in similar cases across the state vary widely and that some local officials have pushed for tougher penalties in certain situations. A Duke Health pediatrician who spoke at Monday’s event described treating children after accidental discharges and urged owners to take storage seriously, according to local coverage of the giveaway.
Where to get a lock
Organizers stressed that residents do not have to wait for a tent to go up outside the courthouse to secure a firearm. In a June newsletter, the Durham District Attorney’s Office noted that the DA’s office and the Durham County Department of Public Health have teamed up on annual giveaways and have already distributed hundreds of locks through those efforts, including earlier courthouse events where staff handed out devices and safety tips. The newsletter also highlighted that the offices coordinate their outreach with NC S.A.F.E. weeks of action.
Officials say the most practical step a gun owner can take is to store firearms unloaded and locked, with ammunition kept separately, guidance that lines up with NC S.A.F.E. materials and national prevention work from Everytown. The group’s research, along with clinical studies cited by safety campaigns, links secure storage to a lower risk of unintentional injury, a message that state and local leaders returned to repeatedly during Monday’s lock giveaway.
