i have rather high hopes that somebody whos in like 7th grade knows what a loving gun is?
the danger of guns in kids hands is not that they dunno what a gun is, but they dunno how to check if its loaded (many just assume its unloaded if there is no magazine) and basic gun safety and use (dont point it at anyone you dont intend to actually hurt, is safety catch open/closed, how to unload gun, etc)
a lot of adults without firearm training also have similar problems/cause similar accidents (though usually less deadly cause they have a bit more common sense) when handling guns, so idk why you'd assume a 12-year-old would be better at it. just cause you know its dangerous doesnt mean you know how to safely handle it.