5 things to know about gun safety in Nunavut

Nunavut RCMP say anumber of recent calls related to young people and firearms may be higher than average.

Last month, a 12-year-old Iqaluit youth was in custody after an incident with a rifle behind the NorthMart and earlier this month, a 15-year-old in Sanikiluaq threatened to enter the school with a shotgun.

Those are just two examples.

"I don't think we've had this many incidents during a short period," saysCpl. David Lawson in Iqaluit.

CBC News asked Lawson what parents and kidsneed to keep in mind when handling guns.

1. Treat BB guns like any other firearms

Only use BB guns on the outskirts of the community, says Lawson.People may think they are toys, but he says they can seriously harm or kill someone.

Even though there are no laws around proper BB gun storage, Lawson says they should still be stored safely. That means making sure they are unloaded and put in a safe spot. He says parents should teach children how to properly handle and store the guns.

2. The RCMP take BB guns seriously

It can be hard to tell if a gun is a BB gun or a rifle, so if a kid is waving around a BB gun in town, RCMP could get involved.

"People may think it's a real firearm and call the RCMP," says Lawson. "And if they think it's a real firearm and we respond, we're going to respond like it's someone with a real firearm, which makes it dangerous not just for us but for the public in general and themselves."

3. Don't store guns in sheds on beaches

Lawson says guns are not secure in sheds.

He says the RCMP believe the youth involved in theNorthMart firearm incident got a gun from a shed on the beach. Luckily, the gun couldn't be used.

"The bolt wasn't inside so they couldn't operate it. That's rather fortunate."

Lawson says it's always safest to store firearms at home.

4. You do not needa metal gun cabinet

Police arestressing the importance of firearm safety and storage.

"People may think that you need an actual metal gun cabinet," says Lawson. "That's not required. People can even make a wooden cabinet to store their guns in."

5. Free trigger locks!

The Nunavut RCMP is trying toget trigger locks to every house in the territory. Lawson says families that haven't received trigger locks canpick them up for free at their local RCMP detachment.