Recall of Gun Safes Follows Death of 12-Year-Old Boy

A maker of gun safes is recalling some 61,000 of them across the US because of an apparent glitch that allows unauthorized access, reports CNN. The safes are made by Fortress Safe, and the ones in question use fingerprint reader technology. "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," says the Consumer Product Safety Commission in a recall notice.

The CPSC says it has logged 39 breaches, adding that it's aware of a lawsuit filed by the family of a 12-year-old boy who died after accessing a safe in his home. The boy "suffered a lethal gunshot wound to the head" in January 2022, reports the New York Times, citing the lawsuit filed earlier this year in Nevada. The safes were sold under the Fortress brand name, as well as Legend Range & Field, Cabela's, and Gettysburg. The CPSC notice has the model numbers. (More gun safety stories.)