ROANOKE, Va. – In an effort to prevent acts of gun violence, Roanoke City Public Schools has teamed up with the city’s Gun Violence Prevention Commission to hand out free gun locks.
The commission purchased 8,000 gun locks to give out to families.
“Everyone is kind of searching for something tangible that we can do as a city to really prevent and intervene in these acts of violence,” said Commission Chairman Joe Cobb.
Families will be able to contact their child’s school to receive a gun lock.
Officials say these locks are just in time for summer when kids will be at home more often.
“If they have guns in the home, we want to make sure they’re locked,” said Cobb.
These gun locks come after a string of gun violence in Roanoke City schools and on the heels of the Uvalde school shooting.
“Everyone is on high alert. And so the more we can do to provide security and empower our parents to provide that security, the better off we are as a community,” said Cobb.
Gun locks are also available through Carilion and the Roanoke Police Department.