Gun Safe Maker Recalls 61,000 Safe’s After 12-Year-Old Dies

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that, after a 12-year-old reportedly died after obtaining a firearm inside a gun safe made by Illinois-based Fortress Safe, more than 60,000 of the company’s gun safes sold at big-box sporting goods retailers nationwide were recalled, Orlando Mayorquin reports for the New York Times.

Fortress Safe voluntarily recalled 61,000 gun safes that use fingerprint reader technology, citing a programming flaw. 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. There were 39 reports of the safes being opened by people with unregistered fingerprints. The commission said a lawsuit had been filed claiming that a 12-year-old boy died in January 2022 after accessing one of the safes.