Tragic: 4-yr-old fatally shoots father while visiting other home
- Thread starter Tashtego
- Start date
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Robert
Having Fun Yet?
very sad...
Lock your guns up.
glock9mm
Ultimate Member
That is sad. I read somewhere that the guy was ex Green Beret.
Oldcarjunkie
R.I.P
Always keep your guns locked up or lock them up when company comes. It's sad when things like this happen.
TxAggie
Ultimate Member
I agree that this was completely tragic and shouldn't have happened. But for all of you bitching that the gun should've been locked up, step back and think a little more because you're setting into the knee jerk reaction.
From the sound of the article, the gun was owned by the resident, who did not expect his former roommate (the father) to stop by. The article doesn't state how long they were there before the event and there is no mention of where the child found the gun nor is there mention of how old the boy is.
We all claim that we need guns for self defense, but then we are the first ones griping about how he should've had it locked up and unloaded. How about having the gun disassembled and spread among three different locations throughout the house? Pathetic
Sure, the resident should have secured the gun, but the real tragedy is that the boy asked his dad what it was and didn't know what to do with it. This is why we need to promote gun ownership openly and teach children how to handle them in a responsible manner and not jump to knee jerk liberal slant that the gun should've been locked up in a residence that appears to have no children residing in it.
From the sound of the article, the gun was owned by the resident, who did not expect his former roommate (the father) to stop by. The article doesn't state how long they were there before the event and there is no mention of where the child found the gun nor is there mention of how old the boy is.
We all claim that we need guns for self defense, but then we are the first ones griping about how he should've had it locked up and unloaded. How about having the gun disassembled and spread among three different locations throughout the house? Pathetic
Sure, the resident should have secured the gun, but the real tragedy is that the boy asked his dad what it was and didn't know what to do with it. This is why we need to promote gun ownership openly and teach children how to handle them in a responsible manner and not jump to knee jerk liberal slant that the gun should've been locked up in a residence that appears to have no children residing in it.
jpo183
Ultimate Member
All children from the age of 2 should know not to touch a gun and the three rules:
Stop dont touch
Run away
Tell an adult.
As soon as I introduced firearms into my house eddie eagle was being played non stop.
As tragic as this is the only way to prevent this is for the kid to know not touch and to take the curiosity away. I have taught my son the three rules and I also let him look at it and touch (when I am holding it unloaded) He knows the parts of a gun and we recently introduced a bb gun of his "own" . He also knows basic shooting saftey. He will be 4 next month. Take the curiosity away and instill safety rules.
All kids eventually learn to bypass safes and locks. Thinking locking up your gun is enough is foolish.
Stop dont touch
Run away
Tell an adult.
As soon as I introduced firearms into my house eddie eagle was being played non stop.
As tragic as this is the only way to prevent this is for the kid to know not touch and to take the curiosity away. I have taught my son the three rules and I also let him look at it and touch (when I am holding it unloaded) He knows the parts of a gun and we recently introduced a bb gun of his "own" . He also knows basic shooting saftey. He will be 4 next month. Take the curiosity away and instill safety rules.
All kids eventually learn to bypass safes and locks. Thinking locking up your gun is enough is foolish.
I didn't say this. Put it loaded in a freaking fast action safe. We are in a modern era where there are ways to secure firearms yet leave them available for quick retrieval in an emergency.
I don't agree. Your kid is not going to magically bypass a safe lock on a good safe, especially if you are careful about not letting them watch you open it. Also, it's equally insane to think that training is enough. What if your kid starts suffering from severe depression, yet hides it, or you don't notice? What if their friends come over? Until they're old enough to buy a gun, they shouldn't have access on their own to it. Sorry if that offends a certain crowd here, but it's not an unreasonable opinion.
As a father of young children, this story is of course heartbreaking. It also makes me wonder how reliably a four year old could be expected to make the most prudent decisions even if trained. It makes me think about ways to improve safety education for my own kids. At the same time I realize I have no power to train other people's kids, so I need to consider safety issues regarding visitors. These thoughts led me to post this story in the safety forum.
jpo183
Ultimate Member
I agree safes play an important role but really....you think a safe is going to keep kids out.
Maybe kids under 6 but that's it. I still believe if you have firearms in the home you should always be training.
Most accidents happen because the child is curious (just like in this case) and anyone that is old enough to hide depression, would be a teenager that can figure out how the safe works.
Not trying to argue that safes aren't effective but I would rather my children understand what a gun is and what it can do....we don't need anymore
"danger blow drying hair in shower can cause electrification" stickers
This isn't an either-or. Your kids need to learn how to be safe around firearms. You need to lock up your firearms. YOU NEED TO DO BOTH. They are not mutually exclusive in any way!
Robert
Having Fun Yet?
An alternative......, if not locked up; then should be on your person and under your control.
But in this case, he apparently didn't know he had a visitor. To be honest, if you have kids, you simply don't know when other people are visiting. Any solution that requires you to be all-knowing and on the spot isn't a good solution. IMHO.
cww
Active Member
- Jan 28, 2010
- 544
very sad indeed. mine are kept out of reach and sight of my kids unless I am present and in complete control of the weapon, period.
I have introduced the bb gun to both my kids and go over safety during the entire session. I also purposely let them see the results of shooting something be it a bird, squirrel, ground hog, or deer. 6 YO gets it, 3.5 YO is still in the "is it dead, cause you shot it" mode.
I am waiting for a play date parent to ask me about firearms in the house when they see the critters on the walls. what make me wonder is how light of a trigger was on it such that a 4 YO could easily pull the trigger and where was the safety. my 3.5 YO can't pull the trigger of my gamo bb gun without help but my 6 YO can. neither can break open the action to even load it.
I have introduced the bb gun to both my kids and go over safety during the entire session. I also purposely let them see the results of shooting something be it a bird, squirrel, ground hog, or deer. 6 YO gets it, 3.5 YO is still in the "is it dead, cause you shot it" mode.
I am waiting for a play date parent to ask me about firearms in the house when they see the critters on the walls. what make me wonder is how light of a trigger was on it such that a 4 YO could easily pull the trigger and where was the safety. my 3.5 YO can't pull the trigger of my gamo bb gun without help but my 6 YO can. neither can break open the action to even load it.
annihilation-time
MOLON LABE
^ This
Well, he didn't know in advance that he would be having visitors. But the visitor and his child did, apparently, approach the door and knock before the owner let them in. So at that point, at the door, he knew he had a visitor including a small child.
Not knowing anything more about that situation, I can't say what this particular guy should or should not have done, and that it not my intent. I'm discussing this sort of situation as a general safety issue.
So if it were you or me, and an unexpected guest and child come to the home, would you agree that upon receiving them at the front door, we should (1) know, already, exactly where all firearms are in the house and whether they are accessible or not (and whether they are loaded, though of course we treat all firearms as loaded); (2) know, and keep track of, which rooms we will allow the visitors to enter or have the capacity to access, or which rooms we will block off from them, and (3) if any firearms are accessible in the rooms where we will be giving the visitors access, we should excuse ourselves and secure or exert control over those firearms?
