June 5, 1989. When I got home, I was looking for my video games to play. I knew where they were hidden since I was such a curious little kid.
But, instead of the video games, I found my dad’s gun. Pulled it out, thinking -- like I would with any other toy -- that I’d try to play with it. My sister was running out of the room, just as the gun went off. She died, instantly.
Even thirty years later, I still remember it all like it was yesterday. I pray in the morning, and make sure I forgive myself and make sure I know that I was just a kid, and it was an accident. But something like this, it can happen in a millisecond, and change your life forever.
By storing guns securely -- locked, unloaded and separately from ammunition -- we can keep our families safe and make sure they don’t experience the same tragedy.