The “Protect One Another” outreach continues with the attorney general’s office visiting the northern village of Yigo to educate residents on gun safety and Guam’s Castle Doctrine.

The session began with a firearm safety demonstration led by AG Investigator William Salisbury, reinforcing the four universal rules of gun safety.

They are:

  1. Treat every firearm as if it was loaded.
    1. Before handing someone a firearm and when receiving one, always make sure it’s unloaded and clear.
  2. Never let the muzzle cross anything you are not willing to shoot or destroy.
    1. Keep the weapon pointed in a safe direction.
  3. Keep your finger off the trigger and along the frame of the weapon until you are ready to fire.
    1. This prevents you from unintentionally firing.
  4. Know your target and what’s beyond it.
    1. Positively identify your target as you intend to shoot.

“These rules must be followed whenever you handle a firearm. New users must practice the rules so they become second nature. Experienced users have become complacent. Do not allow your experience to turn into complacency,” said Salisbury. 

Attorney General Douglas Moylan walked residents through Guam's Castle Doctrine, a law that presumes the right to use reasonable, even deadly force, against an intruder inside your home.

“The castle doctrine is a presumption that you can use deadly force in your own home. The legislature extended what your home is as opposed to four walls, the doors within that house to the curtilage, which is the area around the house – and it doesn’t even need to have a fence up,” said Moylan. 

The OAG says knowing the law and staying within its bounds is critical, so that defending yourself doesn’t land you on the wrong side of it.

The Attorney General’s Office plans to continue these Q&A sessions across the island, bringing legal clarity and safety education straight to the community.