In a promotional video for a gun cable lock giveaway by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security (TDSHS), a girl is depicted pointing a rifle at her father.
The 30-second spot shows a father teaching his son how to shoot a rifle.
But later, when he reenters his home, his daughter has retrieved the rifle from his bedroom and aims it at him as he walks into the room.
“What are you doing?” the father asks, startling his daughter as she turns around with the firearm.
“Hey, hey, this is why daddy locks his gun,” he says, taking the weapon and hugging his daughter.
The gun in the video is cable-locked.
The state agency offers its own description of the video:
A curious, younger daughter, watches and wanting to join them, starts searching her parents’ room. The daughter discovers a gun her parents’ thought was well-hidden. Her father comes inside catching the daughter off-guard. Startled, she turns and points the gun directly at her father. Shocked then relieved, the father takes the gun away, and hugs her. The viewer then sees the firearm had a Safe Store Tennessee cable lock on. The father says, “This is why Daddy locks his gun.”
The Tennessee Star reached out to the TDSHS and to the office of Gov. Bill Lee (R) to ask whether the video could be considered a scare tactic meant to coerce gun owners.
Neither entity returned the comment request.
“The Department of Safety and Homeland Security is offering free 15-inch cable locks that secure most shotguns, rifles, pistols, and revolvers,” a TDSHS release says.
“The cable lock works by running through the barrel or action of the firearm preventing it from being fired,” the release continues. “The rubber coating on the cable helps to protect the firearm. The cable lock has a secure keyed deadbolt locking mechanism with a 4-pin cylinder. To date, 69,500 gunlocks have been distributed.”
“Safe firearm storage saves lives, and as a gun owner, the safe storage of your firearm is your responsibility,” said Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long. “Safe storage can prevent accidental shootings, suicide, and theft. I encourage all Tennessee gun owners to use our free gun lock to store their firearm safely.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
