Lake County officials are continuing their gun safety efforts with a series of videos. It's part of a gun safety lock initiative begun by Prosecutor Bernard Carter earlier this year.
Carter says Lake County has lost six young children because of unsecured weapons in the past 18 months. "This is not an accident, ever," Carter said during a press conference in Gary on Monday. "You don't kill a child with a gun in the hands of that child and call that an accident."
Now, Carter says a video campaign has been put together by Gary City Council member and West Side Theatre Guild Director Mark Spencer. "And the best part about it is, he wasn't asking for the Lake County Prosecutor's Office or the county government to pay a penny for this program," Carter said. "West Side paid for it with the help of their staff, with the help of Mark."
The campaign includes a promotional video, a demonstration on how to use the gun locks, and an interview with Kandice Cole. Cole's four-year-old son died in 2017, when he got a hold of a handgun in the home of his babysitter.
During Monday's press conference, Cole encouraged parents to ask those looking after their children if they have guns and if they're stored properly. "So it's just my hope that the more that I share our tragedy, that I can spare other parents the heartbreak," Cole said.
Spencer, who's also running for state Senate, said if the videos save one life, they'll be worth the effort.