Free gun lock distribution happening in Youngstown
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Free gun locks will be distributed to residents next week.
The distribution will be from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 29 at the Mahoning County Administration Building, located at 21 W. Boardman St.
It is part of a partnership between the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office, the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, and the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board as part of Project ChildSafe, a national firearm safety education program.
The gun locks were awarded to the sheriff's office, and the Mental Health and Recovery Board also received 200 gun locks from the Department of Veterans Affairs. According to a news release from the prosecutor's office, to date, 58% of suicide deaths this year in Mahoning County involved firearms.
This joint operation aims to reduce gun-related incidents by encouraging secure firearm storage. According to the release, gun locks also help reduce suicide due to the time it takes to unlock the gun, which provides time for someone in a crisis to think about their actions.
The release states that 53% of youth homicides involve firearms, and in 16% of unintentional firearm deaths involving children under 13, the gun was mistaken for a toy.
Each gun lock kit includes a cable-style lock and a firearm safety guide. The locks are compatible with most firearms, including handguns, rifles and shotguns.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Warren man pleads not guilty to charges in crash that injured woman
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — A Warren man was arraigned on charges stemming from a December crash that sent an 18-year-old woman to the hospital with injuries. Dennis Currey Jr., 23, is charged with OVI and aggravated vehicular assault. According to a report from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Currey was driving a 2009 Nissan Altima that crashed into the back end of a 2010 Honda Civic, driven by an 18-year-old woman from Southington. The report states that both vehicles were traveling northbound on state Route 11 in Liberty Township on Dec. 26 when the crash occurred. The force of the crash pushed the Civic into the median, and the driver was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center with what was reported as suspected serious injuries. The Highway Patrol's report states that Currey's blood-alcohol content was .161, double the legal driving limit of .08. A Trumbull County grand jury returned an indictment in the case last month. Currey pleaded not guilty to the charges in Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday, and bond was set at $5,000. Currey is scheduled to appear in court again on July 30. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Car that led police, troopers on chase ends up in ‘chop shop': Report
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Police and state troopers found a little more than they bargained for Monday night after a chase led them to other suspicious vehicles. Just before 11 p.m. Monday, the Youngstown Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol had officers out on patrol in the area of Boston and South Avenue when reports state a black BMW sped past them. Authorities attempted a traffic stop, but the BMW sped off at around 80 mph on South Avenue before turning onto Midlothian Avenue. Officers called off the road pursuit due to the unsafe conditions, but the OSHP continued to follow the BMW with its aviation unit. Reports state aviation tracked the car speeding around 112 mph on Shirley Road to Wilson Avenue, to Federal Street, before it turned onto Andrews Avenue and pulled into a business garage in the 1100 block of Andrews. Reports state the BMW nearly hit another vehicle in the area of South and Hilton Avenue, ran red lights and passed other cars during its attempt to flee. Officers surrounded the business and called for all occupants to come out, where they detained two men. Aviation units relayed to officers that one of the men, Derrian Thomas, was the driver of the BMW, and the other man was the passenger. Police arrested Thomas on a charge of failure to comply. When speaking to the other man, reports state he told police that he was the owner of the business at 1104 Andrews Avenue. OSHP troopers on the scene were then informed of a 'chop shop' located near Andrews Avenue in connection with other investigations, according to reports. Police say the owner gave them permission to enter his business to retrieve the BMW involved in the chase. When they went into the building, reports state officers smelled an 'overwhelming' odor of marijuana and observed a 'large quantity' of marijuana inside the truck of a Dodge Charger. Police also observed marijuana in a Chevrolet Sonic, which reports state was registered to the man. Also inside the garage was a Jeep 'riddled with bullet holes,' in which police found two firearms, reports state. When questioned about the large amount of marijuana inside his shop, the owner reportedly told police that someone had dropped off both the Jeep and Dodge for body work, but claimed he could not provide their name and 'had essentially no idea who they were,' according to reports. He also claimed to know nothing about the firearms or who they belonged to. Due to the marijuana and firearms, police had the Jeep and Dodge towed, as well as the BMW involved in the chase. Reports state the Jeep and Dodge were both registered to one person; however, court records do not reflect any charges against that individual at this time. Thomas is set to appear in Youngstown Municipal Court on the fleeing charge Wednesday afternoon. Court records do not show any charges against the owner of the business at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Changes coming to law enforcement training in Ohio
(WKBN) — Ohio will soon usher in what Attorney General Dave Yost calls 'the most comprehensive overhaul of law enforcement training in decades.' Beginning in July, training academies will start teaching an updated curriculum that prioritizes modern-day policing issues. 'We're giving Ohio's peace officers what they need to do their job — real-world tools and the training to handle the toughest calls,' said Yost, whose office encompasses the standards-setting Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC). 'This isn't just reform — it's a significant investment in the future of policing in Ohio.' Effective July 1, academies will introduce the updated curriculum that is mandatory by Jan. 1, 2026. The changes reflect the task force's vision for a modernized, skills-based officer training program, according to Yost. Incoming cadets to any Peace Officer Basic Training academy will now see 72 hours of outdated curriculum replaced with practical, high-stakes training tailored to today's law enforcement environment, including new courses on active shooters and threat response, critical decision-making, crisis mitigation and de-escalation, communications and mediation, and incident debriefs. Courses removed or reclassified (72 hours total): Blue Courage (16 hours): Post-graduation offering First Aid, CPR, AED (8 hours): Online prerequisite ICS/NIMS (8 hours): Online prerequisite NHTSA Speed Measuring Device (40 hours): Post-graduation elective New training topics (72 hours total): Basic & Interpersonal Communications & Mediation: 44 hours Incident Debrief Training: 4 hours Active Shooter/Threat Response + Duty to Render Aid: 8 hours ICAT (Critical Decision-Making, Tactical Breathing, Crisis Mitigation, De-escalation): 16 hours On a related matter, the task force — recognizing the urgent need to support law enforcement recruitment — introduced a modified graduation fitness standard that was implemented after OPOTC approved it in May of 2024. Although entry-level standards remain unchanged, cadets are eligible to graduate if they pass two of the three fitness test components (sit-ups, push-ups, 1.5-mile run), as long as they meet at least 75% of expected progress in the third component. In the year since this change, 91 additional cadets have graduated — officers who would have been disqualified under the previous standard — strengthening Ohio's law enforcement presence at a critical time. 'Updating Ohio's standards ensures we align with today's job demands—allowing us to strengthen the force, better reflect our communities, and increase the number of qualified officers on the streets without compromising integrity or readiness,' Yost said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
