Public Health Madison and Dane County published “Unload, Lock and Separate,” a new campaign describing the importance of safe gun storage, and how firearm owners can practice it in the face of gun violence in Dane County.
The launch of the campaign follows several recent firearm-related deaths in Madison, including several targeted homicides, suicides and notably the fatal shooting of Corey Ruiz in July that has sparked debate about law enforcement accountability and firearm control in Dane County.
Public Health data shows that firearm-related deaths in Dane County have increased by over 60% in the last 15 years. In an average year, roughly 80% are suicides.
MPD Central District Captain Kipp Hartman told The Daily Cardinal in an April 2026 interview the use of firearms in the downtown area by youths was also increasing.
The announcement explained safe firearm access can help minimize suicides and accidental shootings — especially those involving children — in Dane County.
“Involving youth voices in this campaign is critical,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway told Public Health in their announcement. “Young people in Madison recognize the impact firearms can have in our community and are asking the adults in their lives to take action.”
The campaign includes a public service announcement on how safe gun storage can make local schools both feel and be safer for students. The video is central to Public Health’s mission and was created by local youth.
Public Health reminded firearm owners to unload all ammunition, lock the weapon and store ammunition in a separate location. The announcement specified that beyond protecting oneself as a firearm owner, safe storage can prevent harm to younger, less experienced or in-crisis individuals.
Since a variety of factors can cause gun injuries, the “Unload, Lock and Separate” campaign is one of several approaches Public Health is taking to improve Dane County firearm safety. Steps such as an annual Wear Orange event and a Gun Safety Position Statement have preceded the September campaign.
Randy Molina, Public Health’s violence prevention coordinator, told the Cardinal he considers gun violence to be under the public health umbrella.
“Like other public health challenges, it can be prevented, but doing so takes ongoing collaboration and a willingness to listen to the people most affected,” Molina said. “We want to keep the conversation going while making sure youth, survivors, families and community organizations have a real voice in shaping the response.”
Public Health’s 2022 Gun Safety Position Statement highlights the imbalance between individuals’ experiences with firearms. It observes that between 2016 and 2021, firearm suicide and homicide were 13.2 and 2.5 times more common, respectively, in Dane County males than females.
Molina said he believes the path to making an impact with a safe storage campaign is delivering the message through open-minded voices citizens can trust.
“The purpose of the campaign isn’t to criticize people for owning firearms, but to share simple steps that can help keep families and communities safer,” he said.
He sees the campaign as one piece of a greater mission to normalize gun safety conversations and build a community of trust and awareness, particularly among youth.
“We want people to view safe storage as a normal part of firearm ownership, just as wearing a seat belt is a normal part of driving,” Molina said.
The campaign announcement concludes by encouraging families to make firearm safety an accessible household conversation topic. Accidental firearm injuries notoriously involve children, so Public Health emphasizes the importance of educating youth on how to be safe in the vicinity of a weapon.
Moving forward, Molina said, Public Health plans to listen to the Dane County community and fulfill its role as just one perspective in the gun safety conversation.
“At the center of this work is a straightforward idea,” he said. “Firearm deaths and injuries can be prevented, and everyone has a role in making that possible.”
