NRA speaker suggests parents keep guns in kids' rooms for safety

WASHINGTON - While giving a "Home Defense Concepts" seminar at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting, Rob Pincus suggested parents store a gun in their children's bedrooms. He further explained it was because it is the first room he would go to in an emergency.

To some, Mr. Pincus' idea is unsettling and to others, such as Carl Roy with the Maryland Small Arms Range, the idea makes sense.

"The logic of storing a weapon where you will retreat to," Roy explained. "As a parent, you are probably retreating to the child because that's where you fear that somebody is going to injure your child."

Even though Roy understands the logic, he suggests only storing a gun in a child's room if that child is a baby in a crib. That way, you can place it in a locked safe under the crib. He says once the child is old enough to have any curiosity, you might be asking for trouble-- even if they don't know the code to the safe.

Roy said once your child reaches grade school, you may want to reconsider, as kids tend to want to experiment and become more curious as they get older.

In the end, Roy believes the safest place for a gun in a home is unique to each individual and each situation.

We reached out to the NRA for reaction to Mr. Pincus' remarks. A media relations manager with the NRA stated via email, "The NRA often invites firearms industry professionals to NRA events to host their seminars, speeches or classes. The remarks made during Mr. Pincus' seminar are part of his program, not that of an NRA training program or class."