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Two Air Force buddies from Texas are developing a new, safer handgun—one that verifies the shooter’s identity before it can fire.
And here’s the kicker. The National Rifle Association, which opposes almost all gun-safety measures, is actually okay with the new weapon.
Technically, Guardian—the launch product of Matt Barido and Skylar Gerrond's Veri-Fire startup, based in San Antonio—isn't a gun. It's an add-on that fits most standard handguns, and locks the trigger until the owner unlocks it with their index finger.
“We’re looking to prevent unintentional deaths,” Barido, 38, told The Daily Beast. Specifically, children accidentally shooting themselves or others with a weapon they find lying around the house.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that, since 2007, an average of 62 children ages 14 and under are accidentally shot and killed every year. But two gun-control groups—Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America—claim the number of kids' gun-deaths is actually closer to 100 a year.
Personally I would like to see fewer guns in the hands of fewer people, but until that happens I think this is a good first step in making guns already in our homes safer.
Anything that reduces the number of accidental shootings, especially of children should be seen as a good thing.
I would also like to see something like this made mandatory, just like seat belts in automobiles, and serious criminal penalties in place for those who refuse to use them.