Incidents of guns getting in the wrong hands have recently made national headlines.

In Virginia, a 6-year-old is accused of shooting his teacher. In Indiana, a man was recently arrested after his 4-year-old was seen on security video, playing with a loaded gun.

Hearing about stories like these reminds New York firearm safety instructor Dave Jenkins why gun safety is so important.

At Rochester Personal Defense, Jenkins not only teaches his students how to use their guns, but also how to secure them so they are not misused by someone else.

You have to lock your guns up when they are not under your control," Jenkins said. "When you decide you don’t need it on you anymore, you can put it in a lock box or a safe so it is secure."

He works with people first on deciding on a safe place to keep their guns. He said using a trigger lock when a gun is put away is a good first measure of safety, but keeping it locked in either a box or a safe is even better, especially when no one else knows the lock combination or where to find a key.

New York state law requires gun owners to keep their firearms secured and unloaded when they are not under their control, if they live with children under 16.

Jenkins emphasizes owning a gun comes with major responsibility, especially for people who live with kids.

You can never be safe enough with guns," he said. "We preach that all the time. But in these instances, if a kid gets ahold of the gun and it is not secured properly, that is on the parents."

Jenkins recommends gun owners have conversations about firearms with their children so they don't get curious.

"You have to couple security with the education of the gun," he said. "They don’t work independently. They work well together."

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