Fort Myers police remind gun owners of safety protocols to prevent another tragic shooting

After Sunday evening’s shooting that left one child dead and another injured in Fort Myers, police released information they hope will prevent another tragedy due to the careless handling of firearms.

The investigation into the shooting continues to determine exactly what happened and why, and who’s to blame.

Fort Myers police refuse to say how the kids got shot, but then reminded gun owners of their responsibility to properly handle and store their weapons.

“This is why we have the laws in place, we have them there. So that accidents like that do not occur,” said Pam Seay, J.D., a professor of justice studies at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Gun safety starts with trigger locks and safes.

“None of this stuff is expensive enough that you would not want to have it so that you would be safe,” said Jon Dezendorf, manager of Fowler Firearms & Gun Range.

He said you can lock your gun and your ammunition separately.

“That’s a cable lock that you could use, so what it’s gonna do is make the firearm not operable.”

If you have kids in your home, even if you store your firearms correctly, “teach your children the importance of gun safety, let them know that a gun is not a toy,” Seay said.

She said it’s the law to make sure it’s not within arm’s reach like a toy.

“You need to make sure it is properly secured, locked. That’s Florida statute.”

It’s a law to stop the grief and sorrow from ever happening.

“The fact is it’s a misdemeanor. So, you know, you’re not looking at long prison terms for someone for doing something that they didn’t intend,” Seay said.

It’s a difficult situation for detectives, who are investigating and grieving with the family who lost their child.

Again, it’s important to note that we don’t know exactly how the shooting happened, but police clearly care about keeping kids as safe as possible.

WINK News will keep pushing police for answers as to what happened.