In the middle of the night on Dec. 30, 2011, I received a call that my son, Noah, 13, who was sleeping over at a friend's house, was in trouble. I drove over to check, but the call didn’t really alarm me. I assumed the boys were out knocking on doors or toilet-papering houses. They were young boys on Christmas break. What else could it be?

It wasn’t until we got closer that I realized something was wrong. Cop cars, an ambulance, fire trucks, and caution tape surrounded the house. I jumped out of the truck. Someone asked if I was Noah’s mother. Once I said yes, I was given the horrible news. Noah was shot by his friend, at his friend’s house, with an easily accessible gun. He was killed by his friend who had unlocked and loaded guns in his bedroom.

I am a gun owner. I believe in gun locks and following strict safety procedures around guns. I am always surprised that some folks view my beliefs as being against the right to bear arms. I am not against guns. Noah was raised around guns. He went hunting for the first time when he was 3 years old. The difference between us and a lot of other gun owners is that we understand the power a gun can have when not in the right hands or is handled improperly. Guns should be locked and kept away from curious children. They were definitely not allowed in my son’s room.
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When your child visits someone else’s home, please ask those parents if they have guns and if they are stored where children can get to them. Don’t worry about sounding insulting or overprotective. If I had asked, perhaps Noah would still be with us. Had those guns been stored with the safety of children in mind, I wouldn’t have to wake up to the reality of living in a world without my baby. Property can be replaced when stolen. Children whose lives are taken too early because of an unlocked gun cannot be replaced.