BILLINGS — A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed Sunday on the 800 block of Howard Avenue in Billings, leaving the surrounding neighborhood shaken and renewing concerns about teens and access to firearms.Police are still investigating what led up to the shooting, but investigators confirmed that they are looking into whether the shooting may have been unintentional. No arrests have been made, and police say everyone involved has been identified.Click here to learn more:
Billings gun safety expert discusses safety following fatal teen shooting
Andrew Laucker owns Fire Dragon Tactical Shooting in Billings, a business that trains gun owners in firearm safety with a focus on preventing gun violence. He said incidents involving gun violence of any kind are alarming. “It’s always concerning,” Laucker said. “It’s always going to be unfortunate and our message is going to be we of course feel for you.”Laucker started his business in 2012 as concerns about gun safety continued to grow. He said in a state like Montana, where firearms are common, education matters.”It’s important that we all know how to do gun safety even if we never choose to own one,” Laucker said.Laucker said that one of the main areas of focus for his training is on preventing unintentional shootings. While it remains unclear if that was the case in this situation, he said helping people be comfortable with firearms makes a huge difference. “We want to take people from having a general consensus about firearms to being very good and being able to explain everything and being able to handle everything in a safe manner,” Laucker said.Data underscores the urgency of the issue for young people. According to research published in the Journal of Pediatrics, firearm-related injuries are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S., surpassing motor vehicle crashes. The study also found nearly 18 percent of firearm injuries among kids are unintentional.”A lot of people carry guns. Few people know how to use them well,” Laucker said.Laucker said the tragedy is a painful reminder of the responsibility that comes with owning a firearm.”If it has the ability to hurt people, you should be well aware of how it is and the consequences of owning and having it,” Laucker said.