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Second Annual SMART Week Campaign Begins as Part of Nationwide Effort to Raise Awareness About Secure Gun Storage

By August 25, 2025No Comments

WHO: City of Columbia Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, Columbia Police Department, Midlands Be SMART, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Orangeburg County School District, Richland County School District One, Richland County School District Two and Prisma Health

WHAT:  The City of Columbia joins the second annual nation-wide SMART Week campaign from August 25–29 to spread the word on the critical importance of secure gun storage. The City has partnered with Be SMART for Kids to educate citizens of the simple steps they can take to help prevent gun violence in our community as the school year begins. Be SMART focuses on how secure gun storage can prevent tragedies like unintentional shootings, school shootings, youth gun suicide, and more. The statistics about gun violence in America emphasize the gravity of secure storage to save lives:

  • Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens;
  • Roughly three out of four school shooters gained access to the gun used from the home of a parent or close family member;
  • Every year, nearly 360 children under 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. That’s roughly one unintentional shooting per day;
  • Nearly one-third of gun deaths among children and teens under 18 are suicides, and nearly 80 percent of these deaths involve a gun belonging to a family member;
  • On average, at least one gun is stolen from a car every nine minutes. These stolen guns are often used in other crimes in our community.

During SMART Week, the City will leverage the Be SMART framework to encourage secure gun storage practices to become the norm in our community, especially as kids return to their classrooms:

Secure all guns in homes and vehicles

Model responsible behavior around guns

Ask about the presence of unsecured firearms in other homes your child visits

Recognize the role of guns in suicide

Tell your peers to Be SMART.

The City of Columbia, in partnership with Midlands Be SMART, will hold a press conference highlighting the Second Annual National SMART Week.

WHEN: TODAY, August 25, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Columbia City Hall (3rd floor Council Chambers), 1737 Main St, Columbia, SC 29201

More information about Be SMART can be found at BeSMARTforKids.org or by emailing [email protected].

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