4 year old finds gun, shoots brother

[P97]

In my opinion its all about responsibility as an adult. As an adult we are responsible to teach our children about all the things that can badly hurt and kill our kids and grandkids. One thing that comes to mind, and that is used more, and kills more than anything else is the automobile. Don't kid yourself. Kids watch every move you make as an adult and learn from it, so we better set the example we want them to follow. We have to limit and supervise them until they can handle responsibility, but we have to teach it to them. My grandkids have all been taught not to touch a gun without permission, and that all guns are loaded. I have left guns where they could get them while I watched, but all my guns, except my CCW's, are kept locked in a gun safe. We have a tendency to think about how terrible a gun accident is, and don't think about automobile accidents that kill or maimed someone for life.

 

[WeedWhacker]

Weedwacker, can you quote a source on the two seconds? I have not heard that before.

Personal experience. The door in question was my own: a solid-core wooden door set in a standard wood frame. By "living room", I refer to the closest main room to the door in question.

The door opened with ONE medium-strength kick (I consider myself less muscular than your average male). The frame gave first and the area "securing" the flange and deadbolt was almost completely broken out of the wall. Even had the frame held, the wood in the door around the doorknob and deadbolt was badly cracked and had not the frame broken first, would have allowed the knob and deadbolt to fall right out of the door.

I've since taken to bracing residential doors which I can't replace with steel doors and frames. Those metal "storm doors" would also seem to slow down such an entry.

 

[Alexfubar]

I totally trust my child around my guns. I raised her and I did a good job.

I did not raise her friends. Every gun but the one on my hip is locked & unloaded.

 

[feedthehogs]

For starters, there must be a child proof method of preventing the device from being fired.

There ya go trying to determine what's best for other people.

I don't care for people who try and tell me what I need to do to protect my kids, or at this point my grand kids.

If you feel your not capable of keeping kids in your home from gaining access to your guns then, do what you need to do but don't for one minute preach to me.

Gun ownership requires some elevated level of responsiblity. Unfortunatly it doesn't come with the purchase of a gun.

This kids parents were negligent as are ND/AD's and are fully preventable.

I for one am tired of getting a black eye for the short bus rider gun owners.

 

[woodybrighton]

if a weapons out of arms reach its needs to be secured
putting a loaded pistol in a box for moving
your an idiot and should be on extras for the next 5 years

 

[moooose102]

i agree with tmajor, the best place to store your pistol is on your hip in a holster!, that being said, the kids found it under the bed! that means to me, that was its intended storage place by the parents. if they keep a loaded pistol ( or any firearm ) under a bed with young children in the house, they were NOT THINKING! i own several guns, most are locked away in the safe. i also have a pistol that stays either on my hip, or under my pillow when i sleep. in the event i have to go to the bathroom, or anything else during the night i take it with me. you never know what or when a kid will do something silly.

 

[WinchesterAA]

I disagree with "If you can't afford a safe you prolly can't afford baby crap, which means you have more pressing issues than anything a gun can deal with"

What happens when the same reason you bought the gun in the first place happens again?

it's not like someone automatically assumes that "Hey, this dude has a nice house with 2 nice vehicles in the driveway and everything looks nice, he's probably broke though..."

right?

To clarify - Why did you get a gun? Many different reasons, 99.9% of the time those reasons include shooting with the possibility of killing. Oddball results from people who just enjoy looking at things.

further clarification - Shooting = pulling trigger with primed and loaded cartridge in the chamber ready to fire.. pull trigger -> kaboom = shooting.

 

[Tomcat47]

While there are good points with both sides of the arguments above....there is only one correct answer!

Should it be sell the firearm if you can not afford the safe?

Should it be a trigger lock?

Should it be a cable lock?

This list can go on for eternity and never hit the correct answer!

Which is no more that RESPONSIBILITYIf you cannot be this! forget all the rest.

Firearms should NEVER be in the reach of a 4 year old....... No excuses....when I moved all firearms were in gun safe except the one on my side.

There is but one name for the above accident....IRRESPONSIBILITY! A simple irresponsible act that led to an accident....thank God not a tragedy!

I bought my sons first rifle when he was 4....A chipmunk .22 and he shot it that Christmas day. He only had access to this Firearm when I was with him, and the only key to the Safe is on my key ring. He is 18 now and I am proud of what he has learned, I see a safety concious young man, and I hope the resposibilities he learned through school, the NRA's eddie eagle as mentioned above and through what he learned from me serves him well in life.

THIS RESPONSIBILITY APPLIES TO YOUR FAMILY, YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR NEIGHBORS CHILDREN, YOUR FRIENDS, AND HUMANITY ITSELF! AND LEAST BUT NOT LAST YOUR FIREARMS AND THE RIGHTS TO HAVE THEM!