The New Orleans City Council today voted unanimously to impose penalties in cases where children get a hold of a gun and accidentally shoot it.
City councilmember Oliver Thomas says too many kids in New Orleans are hurt or killed by that kind of accidental gunfire.
"In 2022, nine children became victims of careless or negligence, the inability to store or keep safe a firearm," Thomas said before the vote.
Under the ordinance, a gun owner found to have not safely stored their firearm in an instance where a child fires it would be fined not less than 500 dollars and serve no less than six months in jail.
"This is a step in the right direction," Oliver said, "That hopefully will save the lives of children in the future."
