BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Dr. Nimisha Amin joined 17 News at Noon to talk about what parents need to ask before sending their children off to their next sleepover.
It’s been more than 18 years since an Arizona father dropped his son off at a friend’s house for a sleepover and it was the last time the father saw his son alive.
That night the small group of teen boys started passing around one of the family’s allegedly unsecured guns, the gun went off, and claimed the life of 15 year old Christian Petillo.
“Unfortunately, we learned last year that guns are now the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 17 years old here in the U.S. surpassing motor vehicle accidents, congenital anomalies, cancer, poisonings or drug overdose,” said Dr. Amin.
Although it might be uncomfortable for parents to ask or receive the question, ‘Do you have any guns at the home?,’ parents should not skirt around the topic because the ramifications of not asking that question can be fatal.
Watch the full video for additional details.
