Iowa Police Urge Parents To Discuss Gun Safety After Teen Arrest At Des Moines School
DES MOINES, Iowa — Authorities are urging parents to have direct conversations with their children about gun safety after a teenager was arrested for bringing a handgun to North High School in Des Moines. The arrest, combined with the recent mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, has intensified calls for open family dialogue on preventing firearm-related tragedies.
Conversations Start At Home
Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek emphasized that the most important step parents can take is to ensure their children feel safe enough to share concerns.
“Everything starts at home,” Parizek said. “You need to do everything you can to make sure that you’re accessible to your child, that your child feels safe with you, and if they don’t, to figure out if there’s someone, a safe adult or a therapist or somebody that they can talk to.”
Experts agree that talking openly about fear, anxiety, and sadness is critical. Dr. Lori Stevic-Rust, a clinical psychologist, encouraged parents to help kids name their feelings:
“Once they name what that feeling is, we can get a hold of it — like ‘I’m scared, I’m worried, I’m sad.’ We help them experience that, and talk about that we have similar feelings if we do.”
Gun Safety And Responsible Storage
Beyond emotional support, law enforcement stresses the importance of direct conversations about firearms.
“If you have firearms in your house, 100% you need to talk to your kids about guns and safety and safe handling — what they’re for, when and how to use them, and what to do if you see one laying on the ground,” Parizek said. “Kids need to know these things.”
He compared the need for firearm safety to the efforts parents already take to keep children away from alcohol and cigarettes. Preventing youth access to guns, Parizek argued, should carry the same urgency.
Resources For Families
In Polk County, the Talk it Up, Lock it Up program is helping families normalize conversations about gun safety. The program provides free gun locks and resources on safe firearm storage, along with strategies for parents to foster open communication at home.
Officials say such measures can prevent future incidents and protect children from both accidental and intentional misuse of firearms.
As communities across Iowa react to recent gun-related incidents, the message from police and experts remains clear: proactive discussions about safety and responsibility can save lives. For more updates on community safety and local news, visit ChicagoMusicGuide.com.