WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - In light of the recent fatal shootings of two children, a 7-year-old and a 1-year-old, local law enforcement is increasing their gun lock initiative. The Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office, and a pediatric doctor from Wesley Medical Center spoke to the media Monday. According to Wichita Police Chief Joseph Sullivan and the Uban League of Kansas, the locks may not be enough. "The heartbreaking truth is that these incidents are entirely preventable," Chief Sullivan said. "Unfortunately, these situations ended in tragedy. The safety of our children starts with the choices we make as gun owners." The press conference was spurred not just by the two fatalities but by the four additional cases of severe gun injuries in children by March 2025. Law enforcement's answer to the injuries is cable-style gun locks. They hope to cut down on accidental and intentional gun violence by reducing access to youths. But the locks are just a single step. "Certainly, this, this gesture alone is not going to be enough," Chief Sullivan said. Cindy Miles, interim president and CEO of the Urban League of Kansas, agrees. She says the issue is much more complicated. "I think youth violence extends far more into just putting a lock on a gun," she said. "I think we need to address issues in the family that lead to that. Whether it's youth violence, whether it's youth suicide, I think there's a lot more going on." She doesn't see this severely impacting the overall issue. "Often, I think even our adults that use guns related to crime aren't going out and legally buying them. I think they're often not getting them from their parents, I think they're stealing them from some place," she said. Miles agrees that the locks certainly don't hurt and can help prevent accidental deaths but argues other precautions need to be taken to significantly reduce gun violence. Chief Sullivan plans to combine this lock initiative with education plans in the community and schools. The locks are available at any police station in Wichita. To learn more about the free gun lock program, click here. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. ...read more read less