Letter: Vote yes on gun safety initiative

Initiative 1639 is a comprehensive gun safety initiative for Washington. Voter approval of I-1639 would require buyers of certain firearm types to complete a firearm safety training course within the last five years at the time of purchase. The training would include basic safety and secure storage rules, safe handling and an overview of state and federal firearm laws. According to the Washington State Department of Health, 714 Washington state residents died from a firearm injury, including 39 children under the age of 18, in 2015. Securing stored firearms prevents access to them, which in turn prevents firearm deaths and injuries. No one says safety third. It is safety first. Vote Yes for I-1639.