How many children were killed by guns in 1996?

Child Access Prevention (CAP) laws, enacted by many states, require parents to store firearms safely, in order to minimize access by children to guns, while maintaining access by adults. CAP laws hold gun owners liable should a child gain access to a loaded gun that is not properly stored. In most states, CAP law violations are considered misdemeanors. Florida's CAP law, enacted in 1989, permits felony prosecution of violators. Research indicates that CAP laws have reduced unintentional gun deaths by 23%, and gun suicides among those age 14-17 by 11%. A study by Lott did not detect a relationship between CAP laws and accidental gun deaths or suicides among those age 19 and under between 1979 and 1996. The National Bureau of Economic Research has found that CAP laws reduce non-fatal gun injuries among both children and adults by 30-40%. Research also indicates that CAP laws are most effective in states where violations are considered felonies, whereas in states that consider violations as misdemeanors, the impact of CAP laws is not statistically significant.