22-MO finds gun, kills self!

[Rustynuts]

Whoever is responsible for leaving a loaded gun laying around with a toddler needs to be skinned alive.

http://www.wftv.com/news/15545824/detail.html

"OCOEE, Fla. -- Ocoee Police are investigating the shooting death of a 22-month-old boy at a residence in the Orlando suburb early Sunday morning. A police spokesman said that officers showed up at a house in the 900-block of Keaton Parkway around 12:40am, where they were greeted by family members holding the injured child.

Fire rescue personnel showed up and tried to revive the boy, but he died at the scene. The father of the child told police that his son found an .38-caliber revolver and accidently shot himself.

In addition to the father, investigators talked to other adults who were in the house at the time. The spokesman said they will wait for results of an autopsy before deciding if criminal charges will be filed.

The boy's mother was not home when the shooting happened and was notified by officers and the Ocoee police chaplain.

The names of the child and his parents were not released by the police."

 

[Run&Shoot]

I seriously doubt a 22 mo. could have shot himself with a .38 revolver. I doubt the police believe it either and will be collecting many more facts on the situation. My old handgun instructor (active police instructor as well) said that based on his experience you should never believe any story that claims a toddler somehow played with a revolver and accidentally shot someone. He said that it invariably is a cover-up for the actions of an adult.

The baby's hands aren't even big enough to operate the hammer and trigger. The adult that shot the kid by careless handling or intent should, I agree, be skinned.

 

[garymc]

I can't see a 22 month old firing a 38 DA or cocking it for a single action shot. I think the presence or lack of powder burns and examination of the gun will reveal a lot more information.

 

[littlegator]

If the toddler did indeed find the gun and shoot himself with it, I'm sure the responsible person won't need to be skinned alive, what with the guilt and all. Like Run & Shoot stated, however, it's probably a cover up.

This does bring up the issue of guns in a house with kids though. This is the reason why I don't keep one chambered. I have four young ones who can't rack the slide, but they can pull the trigger.

 

[gunsmith]

Don't be a lazy linker cut and paster!

links and story or you will have to clean the Mark 2!

 

[hankdatank1362]

Crap... I thought the OP meant to say 22YO... I was like "What the heck does MO mean? Missouri?"

No 22 month old baby has the hand size or strength to operate a stock double action revolver.

I don't know how light one can tune the triggers on DA revolvers (a la Jerry Miculek) but I highly doubt this was the case.

 

[ceetee]

Being in Florida, the owner of the gun could very well face charges. The story does say that there were more than one adults in the house. I tend to agree with the majority here. Someone has some 'splaining to do. If it does turn out to be manslaughter, (or negligent homicide) then whoever really is at fault deserves much more punishment than the law will ever be able to give out.

 

[silverlance]

IIRC the LAPD's admonition decades ago was that a six year old is strong enough cock a gun and pull the trigger.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

IIRC the LAPD's admonition decades ago was that a six year old is strong enough cock a gun and pull the trigger.

Six year old, maybe. 22 month old toddler? I doubt it.

 

[Roccobro]

It happens way too often, whether we want to admit it's possible or not.

Justin

 

[highorder]

possible, but not likely. I agree there is more to this than the story presented to the authorities.

 

[SCBradley]

That's really fishy. My 2 1/2 year old wasn't strong enough to pull back the hammer on a toy pistol from Cabelas. I had to cut the hammer spring a few times and let him test it out. Ended up cutting half the spring before he could work it. There's no way he could cock or fire a real revolver DA.

 

[Ifishsum]

Unless some moron left the thing lying around with the hammer cocked, I don't see how any 22 month old child could make a .38 revolver go bang. There's definitely something fishy about the whole thing.

 

[bogie]

Someone was playing with a gun, and it "went off."

Not their fault, of course... Bad gun, bad gun...

 

[mekender]

my 22month old isnt even strong enough to shoot my 9 year olds nerf guns, no way that he could manipulate a revolver... sorry, i dont buy that

 

[Eric F]

I seriously doubt a 22 mo. could have shot himself with a .38 revolver.

I dont knoe about this guys, I have a 22 month daughter that is strong enough and has enough fine motor skill to do it, IMO. I think she coukd pull it off with a j frame. I am not willing to have her try though. For her it would be a 2 handed job but she has pulled off some amazing events that I thought she would never be able to do at her age. I will note she is the size of an average 3 year old ang growing like a weed!

None the less tragic event, let this be a lesson for folks that feel the need to keep a gun handy that have children. This is exactly why my stuff goes in the safe when I get home.

Oh let me add this also if my wife were to see this it would cause me an ungodly amount of greif with having guns in the house, can we try to post some positave gun news please?

 

[Bubbles]

Dunno... my daughter is two years old, and we've let her see and manipulate our unloaded guns to take the mystery out of them. She did manage to cock the hammer on a small revolver we have, so I suppose this story isn't completely implausible. Also, the few times she's tried to pull the trigger she puts both thumbs on it and wraps her fingers around the grip, which leaves the muzzle pointing at her COM.

Having said that, the cops do need to do a full investigation here. And yes, someone does need to be strung up.

FWIW my daughter doesn't really care about the guns any more since she can investigate them at will. Knives and scissors OTOH...

 

[Titan6]

Maybe... What if the hammer was already cocked? Even more stupid than leaving a gun laying around but seems more possible.

 

[svtruth]

two things

that leap out: Mother not home and 12:40 am!
What is kid doing up at that hour?

 

[Thain]

Mother not home and 12:40 am!?

School, work, visting a freind... My daughter is 21 months, and it's hardly unusual for my wife no to be home at that hour. The article does say that the child's father was home.

What is kid doing up at that hour?

Oh, come on! The fact that kids wake up in the middle of the night is like a fundamental law of physics. Gravity, electro-magnetism, and restless toddlers... I think it was Newton's Fifth Law.

 

[ilbob]

I think the chances of a 22 MO kid cocking it and than pulling the trigger is very low, and the chances of a 22 MO kid pulling the trigger DA is even lower IF he did so in the traditional way.

However, if a 22 MO was going to pull the trigger, it might make sense that he pointed it at himself to use both thumbs to push on the trigger to get a better grip and more leverage.

It is another reason why you just cannot leave guns laying around. They must always be under your control - either on your person, or secured in some way if not on your person.

 

[NG VI]

anecdotal, but my girlfriend is almost 20 and she can't overcome the DA pull of my 28-2. I guess how bubbles described his daughter trying by pointing at herself maybe, but a DA revolver is a tough thing for weaker people to fire.

This is awful though, and I hope it gets sorted out quickly.

 

[mbt2001]

I don't know a lot about kids, but there is A SLIM CHANCE the trigger / hammer could be manipulated or the height of a drop would be enough to cause the gun to fire.

I mean, the kid would have had to walk to locate the thing and it doesn't squeak, so I doubt they would want to play with it.

EDIT _ I edited the walking part out... I saw on you tube kids walking b4 that age... I had previously asked if a kid could walk at that age.

 

[rantingredneck]

Yeah most kids are walking by that time, Most kids are climbing and getting into things at that time. I've got a boy who has just turned 3 and he could pull the trigger on a DA revolver but he's VERY big for his age. The turning the gun around backward and using both thumbs is plausible. Also explains why the shot went where it did.

Only handgun I leave outside the safe is the one that's on me at the time.

 

[savetheclaypigeons]

around a year and a half a baby begins to walk but they are only around 30 lbs which makes me skeptical However, the child did not have to use their hands. Rubbing the gun on a carpet or using their foot could have easily cocked it. On my .38 k-frame the trigger when cocked only needed to be lightly touched. Very well could hav happened but regardless it shouldn't have. Unexcusable for the child to have the gun in the first place. Horrible day for the family and gives gun owners another black eye.