Security experts weigh in on children and guns

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Amid all of the recent accidental child shootings in Harris County, the gun debate is back up for conversation.

Like many Texans, Andrew Doe is a gun owner as well as a father to two little girls. His children are aware of the guns in their house and have been educated on what to do if there is a gun nearby.

"They were taught at three years of age gun safety, how to handle a gun, what to do if you see a gun, certain things you should ask every time there's a gun in your presence," said Doe.

Doe keeps his firearm locked in a safe, but does not use a trigger lock.

"In the event I need to use this, I would need to take it out, find the key, put the key in, unlock it, take the lock off," Doe said. "At that point it may be too late."

This week, Harris County constable Ron Hickman made free gun locks available to the public in an effort to prevent further tragedy. But many ABC-13 viewers chimed in on Facebook and said gun locks may put them in danger in a true emergency.

"Wouldn't use a gun lock. Lose or cannot find the key in an emergency situation and you and your family are dead." - Mikael Baber

"If you have to find a key, to unlock the henky little lock on your gun, when you need it, it will be too late." - Drew Dyer

"Yeah go head keep your gun locked up in your bullets locked up somewhere else that way when they kick door your house you won't have time to protect yourself." - Sammy Ibarra

"And how many gun owners who do use the locks will not be able to use their gun when someone breaks into their homes and they get shot instead." - David Pressel

"Oh yes hang on Mr burglar while I unlock my gun and load it so I can shoot..." - Nikki LadyBlue Weatherly

A security expert whose family has been in the safe business says the best solution is right at our fingertips. He says a biometric safe allows gun owner to get to their weapons fast.

"Your first swipe is turning it on, sort of waking it up. The second swipe is it reading," said Heath Moore with Moore Security LLC. "It takes 4 or 5 seconds if that to get to your firearm and have it securely in your hand."

His shop sells the biometric safes for $199.

"For the price, to keep a child safe, a couple hundred bucks isn't that much," Moore said.

Another hot topic in the gun debate is what to do about children visiting homes with guns.

"Should I be asking these other parents, 'Do you have guns in your house? Are they secure?'" Doe said.

Security expert Miguel Yanez says every parent should take the mystery out of guns for children.

"Take the firearm, triple, quadruple check that it's empty and safe, and then you let the child hold it, and you teach them about the parts that are dangerous," Yanez said. "But the most important part is, tell them if at any time they

want to touch it, just to ask you."

If you are not a gun owner, there are gun clubs and gun ranges where you can take your child.

"I think once you take the mystery away from guns, then you'll be much less likely to be injured by them," Doe said.