LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville is launching a new program aimed at keeping children safe from guns.
Project ChildSafe Louisville is part of a partnership between local leaders and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Wednesday, 6,000 free gun safety kits were handed out across the city. Each kit includes a cable-style, or trigger, gun lock and educational materials on how to safely store weapons.
The goal is to promote responsible firearm ownership and prevent accidents, theft and misuse.
"There are far too many examples of lives lost or altered forever because someone neglected to follow a simple, common sense guideline about securing their firearm," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said.
Greenberg collaborated with Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and the Louisville Metro Police Department, as well as state and local leaders and organizations, to bring the program to Louisville.
In a news release, the mayor mentioned the recent death of Aubree Goss, a 3-year-old Louisville girl who got ahold of her father's gun and shot herself on Nov. 21. She died at the hospital.
"Her death was preventable, and we can honor her memory by making sure this kind of tragedy never happens in our city again," Greenberg said. "I am calling on our community to join this effort and safely secure any guns in your home."
Her father, E'Montana Goss, was arrested a few hours after the shooting. According to his arrest citation, Goss, 29, told police he loaded the gun and put it under the couch. He was charged with 2nd Degree Manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On Dec. 3, Goss appeared in court where a judge opted not to reduce his charges, but granted his release on house arrest while the case proceeds. His charges will be presented to a grand jury on Jan. 6.
To learn more about Project ChildSafe, click here.
According to the organization's website, the program is already established in nine U.S. cities, including Galveston, Texas, Columbia, South Carolina, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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