More than 60,000 gun safes recalled after report of child's death

More than 60,000 gun safes sold at big-box sporting goods retailers nationwide were recalled on Thursday after a 12-year-old reportedly died after obtaining a firearm inside one of the safes, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced.

Fortress Safe, an Illinois-based company, voluntarily recalled 61,000 gun safes that use fingerprint reader technology, citing a programming flaw, according to the commission.

“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 commission said in its recall notice.

The commission urged consumers to stop using the safe’s biometric feature immediately by removing the batteries and to contact the manufacturer for a free replacement safe.

The commission said a lawsuit had been filed claiming that a 12-year-old boy died after accessing one of the safes, but did not provide further information. There were 39 reports of the safes being opened by people with unregistered fingerprints, the commission added.

The 12-year-old “suffered a lethal gunshot wound to the head” in January 2022 after gaining access to the safe in his home, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this year in a Nevada court. Sean Claggett, a lawyer for the boy’s family, confirmed the suit is the one mentioned in the recall.

The boy’s father bought the safe in March 2021 at a Scheel’s store in Nevada, according to the lawsuit.

Fortress Safe said on its website that it was aware of the lawsuit and had issued the recall voluntarily. The company declined to provide further comment.

The recall covers nine safe models in a varying sizes, from smaller personal safes to large ones that can store long firearms.

From January 2019 to October of this year, the safes in question were sold online via Amazon and eBay and at major retailers, including Bass Prop Shops, Cabela’s, Scheel’s, Sportsman’s Guide, Optics Planet, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gander, Rural King and Lowe’s, the commission said.

The safes were sold under different brand names, including Fortress, Cabela’s, and Legend Range & Field and ranged in price between $44 and $290.

A list of the recalled safes and their model numbers is posted on the commission’s website.