[Zedicus]

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=60428&ran=31327

Gun control laws needed at home
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 1, 2003

Whether or not you believe in gun control by the government, surely you and everyone else believe in gun control by parents.

Last Saturday in Prince George's County, Md., two young parents left unattended their four children, ages 4 to 10, and a handgun, a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic. A boy, age 4, shot and killed his 5-year-old sister and critically wounded his 7-year-old brother, leaving his 10-year-old sister yelling for help.

In Maryland, guns manufactured after Jan. 1 must have built-in trigger locks. This one didn't. It was loaded and ready for a 4-year-old to grab and pull the trigger. Simple as pie.

Even if a parent had been in the house, it is possible that the 4-year-old might have obtained the gun and fired a few rounds before anyone could intervene.

Many people feel safer with a loaded gun under a pillow or someplace handy. And some people don't want safety locks slowing their response times.

But when kids are loose in a house with loaded guns handy, something is far more likely to go horribly wrong than right.

A lot of parents will not let their children visit homes where guns are kept, especially if the guns are not locked away. Neighbors may be offended when asked, ``Do you have any guns in the house?'' Or, ``Do you have any guns that children might reach?'' But when a 4-year-old can shoot and kill someone, those are questions worth asking.

You can read the Bill of Rights a thousand different ways without finding any prohibition against parents practicing gun control. Having seen guns in countless movies and TV shows, kids have a general idea how to use them. It is parents' responsibility to ensure that they never get the chance.


:barf: :barf: :barf: :banghead:

[keederdag]

Hmmm, not sure what you mean here by puke alert. I do think that the parents should be held responsible here. They left a 4 and 5 year old with open, easy access to a loaded gun. There is just no excuse. I'm not sure they should go to prison, loosing a child will probably be punishment enough, but they should somehow be held responsible. If you don't have kiddi'es that's one thing, if you have toddlers, and you leave them to their own devices (allready dumb) you should show some common sence. I hate to see stuff like this turned into more gun law support, so I would like to see the courts utilize an existing neglegence law here.:confused:

[Pheonix]

Did this really happen?
How did a 4 yr old with (I assume) no training get the gun to cycle in the next round...SEVERE LIMP WRISTING!!
I know that a child that young is not strong enough to manually chamber a round.
And dont get me started about the built in lock!

[keederdag]

I'm guessin the gun was hot, and I have shot some that when limp wristing, will malfunction every time. Some seem to work whenever. I think we have a really ughly case of Murphey's law here. I agree, let's not start with trigger lock's, the only lock needed was the one the grandparents should have used on grandma's chastidy belt. :(

[Brian Dale]

Negligent parents. Parents shouldn't leave running cars, chainsaws or motorboats, buckets of acid, razor blades, or gasoline and matches within reach of young children either.

[Old Fuff]

"Limp wristing" wasn't an issue. Only one shot was fired from a .45 pistol (make and model unknown) and the single bullet hit two children - passed through the first and killed the second.

Of course all of this was the gun's fault ......

[Standing Wolf]

...when kids are loose in a house with loaded guns handy, something is far more likely to go horribly wrong than right.

I'm sure the vast majority of children are safe in houses with loaded guns, especially when the parents introduce children to guns, and both explain and show them what they're all about.

That said™, I believe the people who left these kids unattended in the presence of a loaded firearm should be held legally accountable.

[gun-fucious]

(b) Prohibited acts. Except as provided in
this section, an individual may not store or leave
a loaded firearm in any location where the indi-vidual
knew or should have known that an unsu-pervised
minor would gain access to the firearm.
(c) Applicability. This section does not apply
if:
(1) A minor's access to a firearm is supervised
by a person 18 years old or older;
(2) A minor's access to a firearm was
obtained as a result of an unlawful entry;
(3) A firearm is in the possession or control of
a law enforcement officer while the officer is en-gaged
in official duties; or
(4) A minor has a certificate of firearm and
hunter safety as set forth in § 10-301.1 of the
Natural Resources Article.
(d) Effect of violation.
(1) A violation of this section may not:
(i) Be considered evidence of negligence;
(ii) Be considered evidence of contributory
negligence;
(iii) Limit liability of a party or an insurer; or
(iv) Diminish recovery for damages arising out
of the ownership, maintenance, or operation of a
firearm or ammunition.
(2) A party, witness, or counsel may not make
reference to a violation of this section during a
trial of a civil action that involves property dam-age,
personal injury, or death.
(e) Penalty. Any person who violates this sec-tion
is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon convic-tion
shall be fined not more than $1,000.

here is the posts tale:
Anguish, Questions In Killing By Boy, 4
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14945-2003Sep28.html

[MagKnightX]

Off topic, but wouldn't "four kids and a handgun" be a good name for a band? Or a sitcom?

[El Tejon]

Yeah, keep your children ignorant, blissninny. That's a brilliant way to keep the kids "safe.":rolleyes:

Go ahead and raise your children as weak, ignorant slaves, not me.:mad: