(FIRES GUN) Tonight on 20/20 ` two potential killers. Guns don't have to be bad. This is one of the most successful shark species on Earth, unchanged for 30 million years. Two experiments ` one with a 20/20 reporter,... People keep saying this is something you can cross off your bucket list. This was never on my bucket list. ...the other with kids and guns. What kids do when adults aren't looking. One will shock you,... Oh my God! ...the other may surprise. Copyright Able 2014 Kia ora. I'm Sonya Wilson. It would make for a rather interesting personals ad ` shark-mad 20-something male seeks shark-mad female to swim with sharks. Big scary sharks, without cages. But it's happened. From the other side of the world, our own shark expert Riley Elliott has found his female equivalent, who also happens to be an Hawaiian beauty and a bikini model, and she's coming to visit in NZ. Together they're bringing attention to the conservation of our sharks. And they picked up a third wheel on the way ` our own reporter Erin. And I think you can guess what they might have made her do. Everything you're about to see... ROCK MUSIC Check that out. Check that out. Ah! ...has all the hall marks of a horror story. People keep saying this is something you can cross off your bucket list. This was never on my bucket list. But, in fact, it's got all the makings of a perfect love story. I'm just a little bit nervous, eh. (LAUGHS) Are you nervous? Are you nervous? I'm more nervous right now than when I go swimming with sharks, I think. Waiting for the girl he's never met. What are you looking for? > What are you looking for? > A blonde chick. Any blonde chick. He is 28, blonde and good-looking. (WHISTLES) Ocean. She's is also 28, blonde and very good-looking. How are ya? How are ya? (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) How are ya? (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) Good. But this is a love story of a different kind. Whoo! Shark right here. Look at this beautiful mako. I have to lift up my feet. Oh, there he is. Because it's these two on a mission of love to save these guys. Every single time I see a shark, I get excited. Every single time, there's love there. Sharks are their passion. I've had so much experience with marine animals, especially sharks, that I'm kind of in that position where I feel like I should stand up and speak up for them. Ocean Ramsey and Riley Elliott have come together to bring attention to the plight of our finned friends. Their concern, sharks could be wiped out by the practice of finning - stripping the animals of their fins for a soupy Asian delicacy. A million sharks are killed every year. That's, like, one shark every three seconds that's being finned. Just to put soup on the table. Just to put soup on the table. Just soup. The rest, just thrown back into the sea. I think anyone who's seen any form of animal cruelty, you know, would understand it's` it's a helpless being. It can't scream, and it's in obvious pain. And` And for what they're used for when they're finned, it's just ridiculous. It's a practice still happening in NZ. In Ocean's homeland of Hawaii it's been totally banned, so she's here to help Riley campaign to bring our banning date forward. The ban on blue shark finning comes into action in 2016. If we could bring it forward to now, that would save up to 450,000 blue sharks. For Ocean, it's straight from the airport and onto the boat. Yeah! > For the next two weeks, she'll be helping Riley with his research and will guest star in his new TV series. I think that the project that Riley has going on here is extremely admirable and it's wonderful, and anything that I can come in to do to help out, is kinda why I'm here, so... You're coming too. You're coming too. Yeah, I am. Are you pleased about that? Yes, I am. No, it'll be so much fun. There is something really fun about, I mean, just showing people who haven't been in the water with sharks, sharks. Are there going to be cages involved in this? Are there going to be cages involved in this? No. No, you don't need cages. Uh. We're letting them get a head start, and we'll catch up in a couple of days. See you guys later. Bye! RELAXED MUSIC Ocean seemed destined for this life. Ocean, can that really be her name? (LAUGHS) I have to laugh, because, yeah, that's probably` it's a very common question. So, yes, with parents from Hawaii and San Diego and being outdoorsy and being swimmers and divers, it's` yeah, I` it's my name. < So you've had it from birth? < So you've had it from birth? From birth, yes. From a young age, much of her time was spent in the water, and the creatures she saw down there became her life. And I get to see sharks in a really unique way. And that's` that's, you know, face to face, eye to eye, like, day after day in so many different situations. Then when I come back on land and you hear people talking about 'em and it's just` it's Jaws and it's this fear and it's` it's` you see how they're portrayed in the media, and it's so, so different than reality. A part-time model and a free diver who can hold her breath for six minutes, she's put her skills to use in stunts to bring attention to sharks, like grabbing onto the fin of a great white ` the biggest and most aggressive of the sharks. That video got her more than 2.5 million hits on YouTube. It didn't faze her at all. She was so large. And the purpose of doing that, you know, really, was just to show, hey, you know, it's, like, we can co-exist with nature. You know? And so I don't advise that people go out and just grab onto the dorsal fin of a shark. It was an amazing experience. Just absolutely breath-taking. AVICII'S 'HEY BROTHER' We are off. A short flight to catch up with Riley and Ocean. I thought swimming with sharks was gonna be the scary part of this trip, but getting on one of those planes might just be more scary. Flying over the seas ` the shark-infested seas ` to Great Barrier Island, 100 K off the coast of Auckland. So it was fairly simple packing for this trip - got my wetsuit, got my seasick pills, got my lucky undies. You're not going to see them, but I think I need all the luck I can get. MUSIC CONTINUES The first two days have been a success for the team. We've been blessed with good weather and good sharks. Getting in the water with them was incredible. Getting in the water with them was incredible. Right, so what's next on the agenda? We're gonna take you in the water, without a cage, with sharks. But an executive decision is made ` today, I'm just going to watch. The view is pretty spectacular, and these guys are the experts. I want to take the time to see how it's done... Whoo! Shark right here. Look at this beautiful mako. ...before jumping in myself. I have lift up my feet up. Oh, there he is. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Look at that. So we're just going to go in, and we're gonna kinda check out his disposition. I cannot believe that they just did that. I would say that my drive, honestly, behind it is really just like a love for the animals. And every year I go back, you see less and less sharks, you see less and less fish. It's just captivating. Incredible, beautiful animals. Wow! They're passionate and knowledgeable. This is one of the most successful shark species on Earth, unchanged for 30 million years, and possessing a trait normally associated with mammals. So it seems the perfect time to put some sharky facts to them. A shark can smell one drop of blood miles away. One drop of blood in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, it can. Really? > Really? > Yeah. When you put that in perspective of how many drops of blood are in an environment like the ocean, it's really not anything to worry about. If a shark comes towards you, punch it in the nose. (LAUGHS) Um, if it's attacking you, you should punch it in the nose or the eyes or the gills. If it's just swimming around you, you should respect it in its environment. So a good punch is all right? So a good punch is all right? A punch at` A shark's nose is very sensitive, so by hitting it there, is its vulnerable spot. is its vulnerable spot. Humans are on the menu for sharks? Humans are not on the evolutionary menu for sharks, but at times they mistake us for what they perceive to be their natural food. Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better. I'm sure I'll rest easy, cos like it or not, tomorrow, it's my turn. AVICII'S 'HEY BROTHER' If you were to list people's phobias, I'd say, swimming with sharks and wearing your togs on national television, standing next to a model, would be right up there. And I fear that both of those things are about to happen. Day two. The burley bags are out, spreading fish blood and guts into the water. Yep, we're actually trying to bring the sharks to us. MUSIC CONTINUES It's time to get ready. A shark could show up at any moment. Film them. Film the beautiful people. Easier said than done, for some. Hurry up, Erin. I feel like Miranda. Not Miranda Kerr, either, the other Miranda. You know the one. We're ready. My heart monitor in place. It'll reveal just how scared I get. Right now I'm sitting at 87 beats per minute. And then it happens. No, it's right there. A 2m blue shark, I'm told. So when we jump in with this, it's a nice little blue shark. The perfect shark to start shark diving with. They're curious. He might come up to you. And they've got long snouts, so literally ` it sounds crazy ` but grab his nose and just push him away, OK? Are you serious? Are you serious? Yeah, I'm dead serious. The perfect shark to start shark diving with. Is there such a thing? Look, he's right under your fins now, Erin. Look below you. Look, he's right under your fins now, Erin. Look below you. Ooh! Oh! How's that, Erin? How's that, Erin? (EXCLAIMS) Lets go, Erin. Whoo! I love you, Mum. I love you, Mum. Jump in! I'm in. Can you see him, Erin? Can you see him, Erin? I can see him! A heart monitor check ` it's shot up to a whopping 200 beats per minute. Riley's looking out for me - when it gets too close, he pushes the shark away. LAUGHTER We notice the its got hook and line attached. So Riley cuts it free. Turns out my diving buddies are right ` after a while down here, I start to relax. My heart rate shows it too. I might even be enjoying this. I can't believe that just happened. OK, that started off being really, really, really freaky, but, actually, after awhile you just get used to them being there. And it was quite cool. You just kinda relax. And it was good. But when Riley was holding that fish up and it was eating it, you can't quite help but think that could have been part of me, but it just stayed its way. It just came up close and then just drifted off. It's really cool. UPLIFTING MUSIC An incredible experience with two people who really do have a love for sharks. For me, I still can't quite go that far, because the reality is there is that element of danger. They do kill people, though. There's definitely real risks with going into an apex predator's environment. If you were to walk in the savannahs, you would respect the lions there. Just as we should do with sharks out here. Because they do make mistakes. But the very low frequency that those occur on show how good sharks are at not eating us. And that's what people need to really understand. How many people a year die from shark attacks? Around five to seven a year, which when you put it in perspective of how many of us go in their oceans, and how often we're in close vicinity to sharks, it really shows you how good they are at not eating us. Have you ever had any close calls? I haven't had any close calls. And I definitely have seen other people have close calls. And it's because of that lack of respect. Because of` they're not paying attention, and they're not paying attention to what the animal is trying to say. Our time with Riley and Ocean has come to an end. But for those romantics out there still hoping for the traditional love story ending. So you definitely hope to keep working with Ocean? I'm gonna go to Hawaii in a couple of months and catch up with what she's doing there. And then, you know, plans to possibly start a TV series. And then, you know, plans to possibly start a TV series. She'd be a good TV co-host? Oh, for sure. Have you not seen the` the chemistry we have bouncing off each other? It's great. We'll keep you posted. Is that all it is, Riley? > Is that all it is, Riley? > (LAUGHS) It's a professional relationship right now, for sure. Cut! > Cut! > BOTH LAUGH Erin, you big meanie. Uh, the NZ government has banned the finning of many species of shark, but despite pressure from the likes of Riley and other campaigners, a ban on the mako doesn't come into effect from next year. And as for the blue ` that's the one that Erin swam with ` that's not until the end of 2016. If you're interested in the work that Riley and Ocean do, we'll put some links up on our Facebook page for you to have a look at. Coming up on 20/20 ` a rather unique look at America's gun culture. A year-long investigation taking the pulse rate of America. We're just going door to door here. One in three of your neighbours, on average, has guns. Do you know where they keep them, unlocked and loaded? WOMAN: I have it in my Juicy Couture box. And do your kids know where you think you've hidden yours? It's up there, Mom. Tonight we went to find out. Oh my God. What kids do when adults aren't looking. Welcome back. A 20/20 special investigation now. Kids with guns ` how young is too young? Pink rifles for young girls and machine gun firing for preschool boys. Is it making America safer or building on an already deadly social problem? Also, what do kids do with guns when adults aren't around? A nation under fire from its own citizens. In homes across America tonight from Highfield Lane to County Road 170, from rural Georgia to Walnut Ave in New Jersey, every third house on average has guns inside. Some locked, some hidden, some out and loaded. 1.7 million children live where there are unlocked and loaded guns, and friends come to play. There's one right there. It's pretty hard to find that one (!) It's up there, Mom. On the kitchen table. I have it in my Juicy Couture box. Loaded guns on a bookshelf, under a pillow, in a backpack. Even a diaper bag? A handgun in a child's diaper bag. But so many of the moms and dads are certain they've taught their high-energy children 'do not touch and do not play with guns.' They know the consequences of not being safe with it. They're not toys. Respect them. > They are taught to not touch them at a young age. So we wondered what are young children doing when parents are not looking? Come with us to McMannis School in St Petersburg, Florida, which helped us find parents and kids, nearly all of whom had been taught 'don't touch a gun and tell an adult.' 44 children, and we took half of them to reinforce that message. The St Petersburg police gave a safety class and they looked at the popular video from the NRA, Eddie Eagle. RAPS: # Now stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult. # ALL RAP: # Stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult. # The kids have it cold. Working with us is Professor Marjorie Sanfilippo of Eckerd College, a published expert in paediatric psychology and gun safety. And so we are ready, with full permission of the parents. We put seven cameras inside a room in toy bins and the butterfly on the ceiling. And then after a few days, the St Petersburg police give us guns ` real guns ` unloaded. We place them in a room, candy on the table nearby. And, again, these are 44 good kids, most of whom know the rules by heart. And parents about to get the shock of their lives. Oh my God. As we begin, this first group of boys are about to show you something you will see over and over again. Oh no. The words say, 'Don't touch that gun.' Back away from it. But their bodies can't seem to help it. Think of it as a dance of temptation at the table... and then around the room, even as they are chanting the rules a total of 20 times. ...give it to an adult. ...give it to an adult. I know! They know to do it, but they do not, and six minutes after finding that gun,... Don't touch. Gun. ...they touch and dance again. Our second group of boys is about to do the same,... Don't touch. ...but they take only two minutes not just a touch but to pound the barrel. Ow! And then the third group. Don't mess with it. Within 10 minutes, they take the gun out and do this. Professor Sanfilippo says that is a scene that is too often played out in real life. 3-year-olds who shoot themselves. For whatever reason, it's a natural thing to look down the barrel. Right afterwards, this young boy narrates what he's doing as he's crossing the line. I'm touching it. I'm holding it. His friend shows this is how you check to see if a gun is real. You see if it's real. Finally, after they've had time to play, they get around to those rules. Help! Help! We found a gun! Two guns! I mean three! Did you guys touch it when I was gone? No. No. Yes. You did touch it when I was gone? You did touch it when I was gone? We did touch it. You did touch it when I was gone? We did touch it. Did you touch it? No. No. No, you didn't? And then what happens with our fourth group of boys? Well, Professor Sanfilippo has barely left the room when one of them sees the gun and in six seconds, has pointed it at his face. They put it back, pull it out... It's not funny. ...and then aim at each other. Another child trying to figure out a gun, staring down the barrel. And what kid gets a gun in his hand and doesn't want to pretend he's in the movies? (LAUGHS) Put the gun down! Dude, that is a real gun. It's not funny. Professor Sanfilippo had seen enough. Is that a real gun? OK, put it`! What are you touching it for? The professor and the police officer ask for clarification. We both knew not to pull it, and the first thing we were going to do when you came back in was going to tell you. And you did. You told me right away, and then you picked it up and pointed it at me. We weren't going to, like, fire it or anything, because we're both smart enough to know not to pull it. Here we are ` four groups of boys and, our expert says, a powerful truth. They can learn the knowledge. They could sit down. We asked them to repeat it, but you can't educate curiosity out of a child. So you may be wondering were there any kids who did follow the rules, and who were they? Ooh, I found a gun! Only one girl out of 14 even touched a gun, and most of them ran out for help. And there were also older boys who seemed to have more resistance. In the red shirt is 10-year-old Kendrick, who acts like a crossing guard for the younger boys. It's a real gun. He even tries to come up with a diversion. Just take some animal crackers. And in another group, another older boy, 10-year-old Ari... There could be real bullets in there. I don't know. There could be real bullets in there. I don't know. Maybe we'll shoot the window. We're not shooting anything, OK? Or the window? Or the window? Yes, even the window. Cos if we accidentally hit that, it could cost the turtle's life. Whatever you do, do not touch the guns. Professor Sanfilippo asks Ari to step out of the room to congratulate him on being careful around guns. You should be really proud of yourself. > You should be really proud of yourself. > I am. When I saw the gun, I wanted to spring into action. And, um, I felt really good about that. But with Ari now out of the room, the younger boys are all alone. Do 5-year-olds really grasp guns and danger? When one of the boys touches the gun, the other seems afraid and dives for cover. I'm going to stay under the table, OK? I'm going to stay under the table. No bullets. No bullets. No bullets? The frightened boy comes out and pulls the trigger just to be sure. Yeah, no bullets. No fear left. One child pulls the trigger on his friend and them himself. Didn't shoot. When I pointed it at me, it didn't shoot. They know how to play dead, but as we saw over and over, do they really know what death is? I'll die. PROF SANFILIPPO: It's not until much later in childhood and adolescence that children understand that death doesn't mean going to sleep. After our experiment, David Muir sat down with some of the parents to watch the videotapes. A mom who said she'd been sheltering her son even from seeing violent movies or guns on TV. Oh my God. (SIGHS) I don't even like them watching Spiderman cartoons, cos it has violence and stuff in it. Andrea Bevan watches her 6-year-old. And, by the way, his dad is in law enforcement. He was drawn to it, picked it up, pointed it at himself, clicked the trigger a few times. Yeah, that's the toughest part. For these guys, you know, guns are about the same seriousness as crickets, um, you know, frogs and cookies. Another mom who thought her 4-year-old hadn't even seen violent media. That's scary. I have never showed him a gun, and I didn't think he'd know what they'd look like. What were you pulling out? A gun. A gun. And what do guns do to you when you pick 'em up and touch them? They can kill you. They can kill you. They can kill you. We walk away from them, and we don't be around people that have guns, OK? Yes, Mommy. Yes, Mommy. OK. Yes, Mommy. OK. Yes, Mommy. COMPUTER: Adrian, stop. COMPUTER: Adrian, stop. Wow. (CHUCKLES) And this mom who says she not only taught her son Jamie about guns but told him stories from her job. She works in a hospital operating room where doctors try to save children from death by bullets. He knows what I do, where I work. Jamie doesn't want to face his mom. Oh God. I'm not looking. I ain't looking. Oh God. I'm not looking. I ain't looking. Yeah. Do you remember what your mom told you about guns? Sometimes they can be loaded or not, and then you're not, like, supposed to touch them or anything. What do you wish, Jamie? What do you wish, Jamie? I wish you would just delete that. But what else? I wish I hadn't touched the gun. < You wished you hadn't touched the gun. < You wished you hadn't touched the gun. I wish my mom hadn't seen it. Overall, these were the results of our experiment. More than half of a boys touched the guns, even when promising not to. And kids reinforced by Eddie Eagle and the local police? Fewer of them touched, but a lot of them did too. Why was the gun even in here? That's a very good question. You know why the gun was in here? Cos we wanted to see what kids would do when they found a gun. Showing us what so many parents say they wish they had seen. It just never would have crossed my mind to ask them if they had guns. Experienced hunters... You can't go round saying, 'That will never be me.' I never thought I would be that person either. ...and even the deputy sheriff, policeman of the year and his wife, who want to help everyone save another child by telling the story of a little boy and a gun way out of reach. This is one of the most successful shark species on Earth, unchanged 1 We're back reporting all across America, where as we sit, one in three neighbours, on average, has guns, and a lot of parents are trying to hide them. I keep it in a closet far, far back where there's no way that she could climb up and get it, at least at this point. I do have a high-powered rifle that's back in here. You can't see it. To educate parents of ways to conceal their guns, companies run videos like these. Guns concealed behind a secret panel, behind clothing in a closet, in a hollowed out Bible. And in so many houses, a lot of children who think they know exactly where the guns are. We have a shelf up top, and I think that's where it is. I know where all of them are in the house. I'm pretty sure. I think I probably could find it. The NRA turned down our repeated requests for an interview but recommends that guns should be stored unloaded until they're ready for use. And making sure that they're not accessible to a child. But the question for individual parents tonight ` what is really inaccessible? David Muir was there with Stephanie and her 4-year-old, Josh. She gets a surprise twice. She tells us that Josh never pays attention and didn't know she had a gun in the corner of the bedroom. But Josh makes it clear he knew all along. It's here somewhere. How big is it? How big is Mommy's gun? Is it big? Have you seen it? In fact, he takes us right to the corner where the gun used to stand. I'm curious ` are you surprised that he knows you have a gun? I'm curious ` are you surprised that he knows you have a gun? Yeah. So what happens a month later? Stephanie is now sure the gun is really hidden on a top shelf in her bedroom closet. We check in. Josh, once again, is playing with his toys guns, and, once again, his mother is wrong. < Where are your mom's guns? < Where are your mom's guns? Um, in the closet. Can you show us where the gun is? Can you show us where the gun is? Yeah. It's up there, Mom. Josh asks for a flashlight to point out the huge pump-action shotgun. Thanks. It's up there. I can't reach it. Up there. Why you move it? To keep it safe. You don't want anybody to take this down? You don't want anybody to take this down? I don't want anyone to touch it. Stephanie says at least the gun is unloaded. And again that question ` do you really know what your child can do when following their curiosity? We've seen the pictures of YouTube of children climbing refrigerators ` impossible gymnastics to get what they want. You think a lot of people are just living in denial? Yes. Yes. I would have said the same thing, that it would never happen to us. Advice from Deputy Sheriff Mark Easter, 14 years in law enforcement, honoured as officer of the year. He and his wife were parents to an enchanting little boy, a 3-year-old named Michael, called Little Man. (SINGS) It was his cool-man walk, is what the word started out as, because he just` He had a strut. He had a strut. Yeah, he did. He had a strut. It's just those certain people, they just have that light about them, and he just did. Because policemen really do get threats, Officer Easter decided to store a loaded gun on top of a 5ft dresser in the parents' bedroom. It was there the whole time his girls were growing up. And little Michael never came in that bedroom to play. It was almost always, 'I no touch your gun. I no touch your gun.' And you thought it was out of reach. And you thought it was out of reach. Yes. On a 5ft-tall dresser. I'd always preached to him, 'We never touch Daddy's gun, do we?' 'No, we never touch Daddy's gun.' But last March, Officer Easter was five minutes out the door leaving for work when his wife called. The sheer terror that she was portraying, I knew something horrific had happened. His wife was just a few feet away from the room where Michael never went to play. You were right in the other room? Here I am trying to clean up dinner, doing my check of the house, making sure the front door's locked, and I didn't realise he'd walked past me and had gone into our room. I come around, and I heard the shot. Do you know how he got up to the top of the dresser? Do you know how he got up to the top of the dresser? They don't even know. (SNIFFS) VOICE BREAKING: That will be with me for the rest of my life, though, what it looked like. (SNIFFS) And then I guess I already know is that... for a few seconds that he was alive after that, I guess. I said goodbye to him and that I loved him. (SNIFFS) You know, I was the first one to hold him, and I was the last. (SNIFFS) Michael was buried in his favourite outfit ` a police uniform. He was the only 3-year-old little boy that I knew that would grab you with both hands by your face. 'Daddy, look at me. Look at me.' And he'd grab my face and say, 'I love you.' This is the first time the Easters have spoken publicly, and they say they can do it for only one reason. And we're trying to do the best that we can to honour his memory. Maybe we can help somebody else to avoid this tragedy so they don't have to go through what we do. What is your dream the day after people see this on TV? I just urge one family to go out and buy a safe. You're basically rolling the dice with your children's life. Hi, Mom. Auckland ` the show never stops. MAN: You know the one thing every great city has in common is when you walk outside, the show never stops. INSPIRATIONAL ROCK MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES Auckland ` the show never stops. Ready? This is one of the most successful shark species on Earth, unchanged for 30 million years. Ready? (FIRES GUN) This is one of the most successful shark species on Earth, unchanged for 30 million years. There are parents around the country who believe exposing their young children to guns is part of the solution. This is Charlie... (FIRES GUN REPEATEDLY) ...taking on a machine gun at age 4. We met Charlie and his family. We found them at a gun party with other children. We're gonna have fun, and we're gonna be safe. They've been to them before. This one was outside of Atlanta, where children learn to shoot. (FIRES GUN) Braden Saul's 10 years old, putting in his earplugs, covering his ears. The buckets of ammo. They check his grip. He's ready. (FIRES GUN) The 6-year-old, shooting a .22. (FIRES GUN) There are little girls too. Jordan is 8. (FIRES GUN) The assault rifle comes next. (FIRES GUN) All of the parents are right there. Jennifer is Charlie's mom. I knew that he was safe, but it is actually funny because in one part of the video, he looks to the side to look to me to ask for permission. Guns don't have to be bad. I mean, they're good, they're fun. They are among the families in America who believe something else ` that by putting guns in the hands of young children, it takes away the mystery. It helps to diminish their curiosity. Charlie's dad, Latham, who owns Rusty's Rags, argues demystifying the gun is the answer. There's a lot of accidents that happen because kids aren't properly trained to use guns. So it's either, you know, education or ignorance, is the way that we look at it. I'd rather be the one showing our kids, you know, the proper way to use guns. (FIRES GUN) He couldn't provide numbers about whether allowing children to shoot really removes curiosity later when the parents aren't there. But he was adamant that the children at all of his gun parties have never had an accident at home. If you're wondering what happens to a child when a gun is put into their hands at such a young age, meet 14-year-old Katie Francis, just one example. She fired her first gun as a kindergartner. I make straight A's. I make straight A's. Straight A's? I make straight A's. Straight A's? Mm-hm. It's a policy at our house. Katie took us out on the family farm in Missouri, where after homework, this is what comes next. What are you shooting with today? What are you shooting with today? My pistol, my shotgun, my rifle. Stocking her ammo on her waist, we were about to see what she can do. (FIRES GUN REPEATEDLY) Then her pistol. 17 shots in 17 seconds. (FIRES GUN REPEATEDLY) Katie is one of the top teenage shooters in the country, outshooting men 20 to 30 years older than her. (FIRES GUN REPEATEDLY) And who's next in her family? Her 4-year-old sister, Sagel, just recently shooting for the first time. You gotta know there are a lot of parents out there who will say` You gotta know there are a lot of parents out there who will say` They're gonna be outraged. It's kind of like you can't wrap your kids in bubble wrap. You can make them wear a seat belt every time they get into a car, and they still may die in a car accident. and they still may die in a car accident. You stand by your decision? Absolutely, and I think that you have to start somewhere. You have to teach them responsibility with the weapon. If you don't, they're going to be curious, and they're going to find it. And they watch TV. They know how to put their finger on the trigger and squeeze it. But even for all the families who say they did it right ` taught their children the dangers of guns early ` we heard about Travis Taylor, who says he did the same thing too. His boys on the farm in Ohio all began shooting young. They'd been hunting since they'd been able to walk with me. I taught them all from a young age, if you see a gun, you treat it like it's loaded all the time. He was outside working. His 8-year-old and 10-year old were playing in the garage. He heard a shot. 10-year-old Dalton had been hit. Trying to get him to wake up. He wouldn't wake up. I keep trying to feel for a pulse. No pulse there. His seven brothers were shattered too. I mean, it just ain't the same sleeping in the room without him now. We ask the Francis family, who are training their 4-year-old, about the parents who say they taught their children about the dangers of guns too. What would you say to the parents who would say they did exactly what you did? 'I taught my kids the danger of these guns, yet they still found them.' You know, that's a very real point and` And I think you also have to know your kids. They tell us they lock their guns now, because even as 4-year-old Sagel learns to shoot, they fear she is still too curious. Just listen to him test her. OK, we never put... OK, we never put... ...our finger on the trigger. If you think it's just dads who bring guns into the home believing it'll make the family, the children safer, our trip to Oak Forest, a sprawling neighbourhood outside Houston, where a dozen cars arrive just as we do. And inside each one of them, mothers, grandmothers, a kindergarten teacher, all there with their guns. You all have these guns here to feel safer? You all have these guns here to feel safer? ALL: Yes. Maureen is a single mom. So, you're not worried at all with a 3-year-old at home? So, you're not worried at all with a 3-year-old at home? I'm not, no. You keep it locked up? You keep it locked up? I don't keep it locked up. I keep it in a closet behind the door. At home we meet her son Jonathan, showing me his video game, as his mother then upstairs shows us her hiding spot. Like so many of the other parents we met earlier, her gun is unlocked and in the closet. By the baseball bat? Her ammo is nearby and so is her son. He sleeps right there in the bedroom with her. And among the women we've met, another mom, who is also a kindergarten teacher. What kind of gun do you have? What kind of gun do you have? I have a 20-gauge pump-action shotgun. We've followed many of these families for nearly a year. That kindergarten teacher on a return visit revealed to us a close call. It happened during the night with her son. I set the alarm, and I forgot to tell him. When he came in, the alarm system set off. I reached over for the gun. Right away he's, like, 'Mom, Mom.' I thought a tragedy could have happened. But, even with that scare, she believes that she and her family are safer with the gun. In fact, accidental shootings of kids in the home are down. Karen Clark, a mother and grandmother. That's where you carry your gun? That's where you carry your gun? Mm-hm. In your makeup bag? In your makeup bag? Mm-hm. She practises at the range once a week. We asked her about her three grandchildren. Do you ever worry about whether or not they could get their hands on that gun? They all shoot, but they have a healthy respect for it. Her trainer, Kyle Coplan, told us his daughter, almost 3, will also soon shoot. How long before she's got that BB gun in her hand? How long before she's got that BB gun in her hand? Oh,... it depends on how good she is for Christmas. But we wanted to know even if you expose children to guns early ` let them hold them, let them shoot them ` can you be sure it will eliminate their curiosity? When you see that video, even the children who've been taught by their parents, and they pick it up and point it at themselves or point it at a friend? The children that have been properly trained and know how serious firearms are are not going to be kids that are going into their parents' room and playing with firearms. You kill the curiosity before the curiosity kills the kid. But what would you say to parents who felt like they did exactly that? But what would you say to parents who felt like they did exactly that? It's on the parent. 'It's on the parent,' he says. Among them, Maureen, that single mom who showed us her unlocked gun, ready to go. And you're ready? And you're ready? I'm ready. Mm-hm. For more than a decade, there has been a powder pink gun on the market. It's one of the colourful guns called My First Rifle. The company's mascot is Davey Crickett, which reminded us of that little character in Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket. And since 1996, sales have gone from 4000 to 60,000 a year. There have been a number of research studies to show that girls especially are attracted to pink colours. Again, Professor Marjorie Sanfilippo from Eckerd College, an expert in child psychology. The gun industry has taken notice of this. And so we decided to head back to that school in St Petersburg, Florida, specifically to see how girls would react to colourful rifles. This time we're outside. Police say they find weapons, particularly handguns, tossed into playgrounds around the country. Our hidden cameras are inside the jungle gym, the bark on the ground. And an ex-marine makes sure the colourful rifles are safe, unloaded. Keep in mind our first experiment when girls pretty much ran away from these guns. I found a gun! But this time watch as the girls come out to play and grab, rattle, giggle, and pull the trigger. Oh, my gosh, why are there bazookas? Oh, my gosh, why are there bazookas? I don't know. Oh, my gosh, why are there bazookas? I don't know. I think they're fake. I wanna shoot. This is how you use bazookas. Can you shoot this? I wanna shoot. This is how you use bazookas. Can you shoot this? Nope. Cool! The girls indicate they're confused. These guns look like toys. Are they both guns? Are they both guns? They're not real. Don't play with them! Don't play with them! They're fake. Professor Sanfilippo walks out, and they tell her about their confusion, because they can read, and the gun says My First R-I-F-L-E. Because it says My First Ree-fil. This one says My First... Rail-eef. And this one doesn't say anything. And this one doesn't say anything. But on the side it has... Crickett Riffle. Crickett Riffle. And what does that mean? Crickett Riffle. And what does that mean? It's probably, like, a toy company. And in fact it's not on the rifle, it's only the box that warning ` 'not a toy' and 'use with adult supervision'. The girls also indicated that the colour had thrown them off. It looks like it's fake. What's the pink one? I like the colour of the pink one. I like the colour of the pink one. I like the colour of the pink one too. I don't like that colour. And that's a boy's colour. And that's a boy's colour. Yeah. Later, one mom was completely stunned as she watched her daughter play a hunting game. It looks like a toy. It's crazy. Who makes toys like that for children? Her daughter is one who knew the rules ` to stop, don't touch ` but says she just got swept up in something. Yeah, I kind of forgot. Yeah, I kind of forgot. Kind of forgot? Yeah, I kind of forgot. Kind of forgot? Forgot, yeah. You have to be very careful and remember. You're not going to touch a gun again? You promise me? OK. You guys didn't go tell an adult that there was guns on the playground? A father also listens to his daughter try to explain. We thought it was a toy cos they usually have them in bright colours like kids' toys. Oh, you know what, girls? Oh, you know what, girls? What? Oh, you know what, girls? What? Those are real. (YELPS) So, what happened at the end of the day? Well, a lot of girls did tell adults. Why are there guns out here? Don't touch them, and I'll be right back. But this time, eight out of 23 of them also touched or played with the guns. We called the manufacturer, Crickett Rifles, to ask for interviews. Ultimately, their lawyer called us back and said they are doing all they can for safety. The colour is not that important. Since kids can't legally buy the rifles, it's their parents making the choice. He added they offer free safety locks and gun safety material in the box. But this little girl from our experiment has something she wants to say to them. I think they should make a rule ` no making real guns look fake, because if somebody picks up a real gun but it's painted pink, they might think it's a fake gun and a toy and start shooting it around, and actual bullets could come out. Wow, hey, we've had heaps of feedback over the last week on that story already, so looking forward to hearing what you make of it now you've seen the whole piece. Incredible, really. If you want to see that or any of tonight's stories again, head to our website. It's... You can also email us at... Or, of course, go to our Facebook page. We're at... And let us know what you make of tonight's yarns. 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