A focus on safety and education is key when it comes to preventing gun-related injuries.
That's the message from Dover Rod and Gun Club President Joe Pinsonneault after he heard about a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that says guns either killed or injured a child or youth almost every day in Ontario each year between 2008 and 2012.
A pellet gun (top) and a .22 cal. rifle (bottom) seized by Chatham-Kent police. (Photo courtesy of the Chatham-Kent Police Service)
The study found three-quarters of the gunshot wounds were unintentional, most involved boys and young men, and a large number of them involved immigrants and refugees.
Pinsonneault says he thinks a lot of the problem can be attributed to illegal guns and uneducated gun owners.
"We have hunter-safety education courses three to four times a year out at our club and it's a very thorough program," says Pinsonneault. "If you make one mistake, you have to take it over again -- they're very strict."
He's not aware of any recent gun-related injuries in the area involving children, either.
"I haven't heard of any gun-related incidents with children in our area unless it's something illegal," says Pinsonneault. "These [injuries] don't happen to anyone who is practicing proper safety."
In light of the study, the Canadian Paediatric Society is urging gun owners to properly store firearms.