In 1984 guns killed 711 black children and teens, including homicide, suicide, and accidents. That number had increased to 2,611 in 1993, a 270-percent increase. The 2,611 black children and youths killed by guns in 1993 included 2,214 homicides, 187 suicides, and 174 accidents. Nearly as many black toddlers and preschool children were murdered with guns in America as gun homicides among all age groups of citizens in Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, or England and Wales. Among the steps proposed for protecting children from gun violence are stronger actions at all levels of government to regulate guns as the dangerous products they are. Public education must make citizens aware of the dangers of keeping guns in their homes, since a gun in the home is far more likely to be used to kill a member of the family or a friend than an intruder. Those who choose to own a gun should keep it in a securely locked place, with gun and ammunition stored separately. Communities must also create safe and positive alternatives to the streets for children and youth after school, on weekends, and during idle summer months. Finally, the glorification of guns and violence in the American culture and media must end, and the marketing of guns to children must stop. A table shows the number of deaths of black children and teens by age group for each year from 1979 through 1993.