The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of 61,000 biometric gun safes made by Fortress after the safes reportedly failed to keep guns locked and out of the hands of children.
According to the CPSC, there have been 39 instances of owners reporting that unpaired fingerprints have accessed their safes. Among the instances, one reportedly resulted in a 12-year-old who died after obtaining a gun out of the safe. Nine different models are included in the recall. The safes were sold at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Scheels, Sportsman’s Guide, Optics Planet, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gander, Rural King and Lowe’s.
The following models are included in the recall:
"Consumers can believe they have properly programmed the biometric feature when in fact the safe remains in the default to open mode, which can allow unauthorized users, including children, to access the safe to remove hazardous contents, including firearms," the CPSC said.
The CPSC and Fortress Safe say owners should immediately stop using the safes. Consumers are being urged to contact Fortress Safe at 833-588-9181 to request a replacement safe.
Fortress Safe says that replacements will begin shipping in early December.
The incident involving the 12-year-old is not the only one reported involving children and faulty safes. In May, KETV reported that a 6-year-old in Iowa was able to access a gun inside a BBRKIN biometric safe box.
“He just saw the safe and then he put his thumbprint on it and it opened right up for the kid,” Shenandoah Police Chief Josh Gray told KETV.
The CPSC posts updated recall notices on its website every Thursday. You can search past CPSC recalls on its website. You can also be among the first to learn of product recalls by signing up for emails directly through the CPSC.
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