Baltimore City Offers Free Gun Locks at Local Libraries

Baltimore City is distributing free gun locks as part of a new effort to prevent firearm thefts, accidental shootings and youth access to unsecured weapons.

U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume helped secure $245,000 in federal funding to purchase the locks. City leaders said the initiative is another tool aimed at improving public safety and encouraging responsible gun ownership across Baltimore.

Officials emphasized that firearms should be properly secured to prevent them from being stolen or falling into the hands of children and teenagers.

Several deadly incidents in Baltimore have highlighted the dangers of unsecured guns. In 2023, 15-year-old Nykayla Strawder was fatally shot by a 9-year-old who was playing with an unsecured firearm.

In 2015, 10-year-old E’vaa Mikel Sewell died after accidentally shooting herself with her grandmother’s unsecured gun.

Baltimore’s 2021 annual child fatality review report found that 29% of youth suicides and 5% of accidental deaths involved a young person gaining access to an unsecured firearm inside a home.

The gun locks will be available at five Enoch Pratt Free Library locations throughout the city through a partnership involving the library system and Johns Hopkins University.

Health officials involved in the initiative said preventing access to unsecured firearms can help reduce accidental shootings, suicides and other acts of violence before they occur.

Anyone 18 or older can visit one of the participating library branches and receive a free gun lock. No questions will be asked, and no identification or proof of gun ownership is required.