"Unboxing" opens like any other popular toy unboxing video. Our 8-year-old influencer, Cayden, is in his parents' bedroom, excited to show off something new for the camera. Except instead of revealing a toy, Cayden unboxes the semi-automatic pistol his parents keep unlocked in their closet. As he enthusiastically shows it off for the camera—playing with it, loading it, drawing back the slide—he unwittingly puts himself in serious danger.

In the U.S., 4.6 million kids live in a home with an unlocked gun.  Amid coronavirus fears and social unrest, gun sales surged to record highs in 2020—many by first-time buyers.  

Every day, eight kids are shot by a misused or unlocked gun found in the home.  And with stay-home-orders keeping more kids inside, the number of unintentional shootings by kids is rising.  The need for safe gun storage has never been greater.  

Our 8-year-old talent had never handled a gun before, so it was crucial that we gave him the proper safety training before shooting this PSA. We taught him what to do if he ever found a gun in real life, as well as explained the specifics about the particular model we would be using – a decommissioned firearm that could never fire.