A new firearm safety program for teens could soon be coming to Michigan schools after Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation allowing districts to offer the courses to middle and high school students.
- Michigan schools can now offer optional firearm safety classes to middle and high school students under new legislation signed by Governor Whitmer.
- The program was inspired by concerns about accidental shootings among young people who don't know how to safely handle firearms when they encounter them.
- The courses teach both accident prevention and hunting practices, and can satisfy requirements for obtaining a hunting license in Michigan
The Village Lansing already offers a 2A teen firearm safety class, sparked by concerns from community leader Micheal Lynn Jr., who noticed young people were getting hurt in accidental firearm incidents.
WATCH: WHAT A FIREARM SAFETY COURSE COULD MEAN FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
"I'd recognize we had a lot of young people come in that had instances firearms that were accidental—that didn't know how to handle a firearm when they encountered one—people got hurt," Lynn Jr. said.
The class teaches young people how to respond when they encounter firearms in their environment and what they should do in those situations.
Under the new law, schools can now offer firearm safety courses alongside safe hunting practices. The program would also satisfy requirements for obtaining a hunting license, potentially helping to grow Michigan's hunting community.
"It makes it easier access to get your hunters certificate than doing it on your own outside of schools," said Dan Kelley, shotgun director at the Capital Area Sportsman's League.
Kelley said he'd like to see more hunters in the state, noting a concerning trend in participation.
"I've seen a decline in the number of hunting licenses issued yearly. It's been a steady decrease," Kelley said.
While Lynn Jr.'s mission focuses on preventing gun violence in neighborhoods, he believes firearm safety education should be widely accessible.
"Yeah absolutely I think all youth should have access to it. I think it's just as important as teaching a kid to read," Lynn Jr. said.
I reached out to the Lansing School District to ask if they would consider offering the optional class to students, but did not receive a response.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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