Can DHS keep my children? What should we do?

Maybe the police questioned how you got the gun so fast when the burglar was already in the house. Did they think you already had it out for some other reason? When you go to court you might want to have a lawyer since your children's wellfare is at stake. If you don't get them back after your court apperance, you will want a lawyer to fight to get them back. Good luck.

A Brown has given you some good advice.

Meanwhile, you state that the gun was locked up before you got to it. Where? Do you have a gun safe? Are the bullets stored in a separate locked location from the gun? Does your gun have a childproof lock on it so that a child could not fire it should s/he happen to gain access?

If you can prove to the court that you have those safety measures in place as a matter of routine, then a good attorney should be able to assist you in obtaining the return of your children with no problem.

If you do NOT have those measures in place, then maybe this incident should serve as a lesson of some sort.

What happens next is up to you.