KINSTON, N.C. (WNCT) — Governor Roy Cooper made a stop at The Gate in Kinston on Wednesday morning to discuss the NC Safe initiative.

The focus was on gun violence and safety measures to prevent it. This comes just days after the shooting at UNC Chapel Hill’s campus. At the event, he awarded Kinston Police Chief Keith Goyette and Lenoir County Sheriff Jackie Rogers safe locks to distribute to gun owners in the area.

“We know that gun violence is on the rise not only in our state but across the country. We know that death by gunfire as in car accidents, as the number one cause of injury death to children. So we must take steps to keep our communities safe from gun violence,” said Cooper.

The NC Safe Initiative was launched in June to encourage gun owners to store them safely. Cooper said he wants to ensure that weapons stay out of the hands of criminals and juveniles and hopes this initiative can achieve that.