MINT HILL, N.C. — Studies show every year, nearly 1,300 children die from guns and many more are seriously injured. It’s a startling reality that programs like the Kids Basic Firearm Safety Course hopes to correct with the help of proper gun education starting at an early age.
Instructor Mike Pegram hosts several classes in Mint Hill each month to teach children gun safety, gun handling and marksmanship techniques.
“When I say fire and ready you’ll bring the gun up to the target take your finger and put it on the trigger then you can shoot,” Pegram said.
As part of the course, students start with a Nerf gun then eventually work their way up to a .22 caliber rifle. Through this hands-on instruction, the hope is that kids will be more informed and less oblivious to the dangers guns can cause.
In the last two months in Charlotte, there have been several shootings involving children shot by unsecured guns.