Real Talk About Guns course offers safety tips for parents

Free course held at First Coast High School

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County Public Schools’ Parent Academy offered a free course Sunday to help define the difference between firearms and weapons and help parents talk to their children about gun safety. 

The Real Talk About Guns course, held at First Coast High School, was offered to parents to discuss the difference between a firearm and a weapon, the consequences for possessing them illegally and provide participants with an opportunity to talk about what can be done to ensure their homes and families remain safe.

An intimate crowd of parents and students showed up to the event. The officer leading the discussion told those attending, "Do not bring weapons of any kind to school." The officer went on the say that parents can even face child neglect charges if their student is caught with a gun -- which he added that in most cases, the guns are stolen from the home. 

The organizer of the event, Tia Leathers, said she hopes parents realize they should be having conversations about gun safety with their children.

"As parents, they are their child's first teacher," Leathers said.