(PA) The Not So Safe Gun

[Steve in PA]

http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=4447987

Thursday, February 2, 2006

By Jill Garrett

A warning tonight for parents: No gun is safe when children are around.

Here's the story of one family who "thought" their son was safe, until he was shot in chest.

Accidental shootings, they happen far too often. One mother from Abington Heights almost lost her son when a gun accidentally fired. Now she can't say enough about the trauma team that saved her son's life.

Mari and Paul Walker return to the NEPA Trauma Center at CMC in Scranton to say thank you to the doctors who saved him. Fifteen-year-old Paul remembers the day back in December, he and a young child were at a relative's home, when the child picked up a gun. "I didn't think it was loaded, cause I looked at it and I didn't think it was loaded. He's like yeah I know and he just pulls back the hammer and he's like this is how you shoot it and Bang. I just kind of jumped around at first, I was like, 'Oh my God, call 911,'" he recalls.

Paul was rushed to the NEPA Trauma Center at Community Medical Center. Dr. Brian Mott, is a cardiothoracic surgeon, "I've only seen an injury like this once before in my training and that patient didn't survive."

The bullet went through one of the largest veins in Paul's body.

Dr. Brian Klock, is a critical care surgeon, "Luckily we were prepared for to handle it. He went immediately up to the operating room. Also it helped that in the afternoon, I had a lot of help here."

Paul's mother, is a registered nurse, but she was not prepared to handle something like this. "It's something that I don't want to go through again, and I don't want another mother or parent, or brother or sister, anyone would want to watch them go through someone they love go though something like that," she insists.

This family hopes their story might prevent others from getitng hurt. The doctors at CMC agree.

"I think this is a wake up call to parents all across this area. It's a real big hunting area, and if you got guns in your house, you have to make sure, that they're locked away, ammunition is separate. No loaded guns in the house," Dr. Mott adds.

As for Paul, "Just don't play with guns. You never know there could be a bullet locked in the chamber or something."

For more on how to prevent gun accidents check our Web Links.

 

[Maxwell]

Rule 1: Treat all weapons as if they were loaded.

Theres a reason we got rules.

 

[Old Fuff]

There are some valid points in this article that should be considered.

1. The "incident" (I won't call it an accident) happened in a relative's home, and that that person should have secured or unloaded any guns if he/she knew that other people's kids were going to be around. Some may say, "well it was their house, why should they have too?" Because I think, there is a difference between "have to," and common sense.

2. At 15, Paul should have been taught that you don't handle guns of any kind without adult permission, and in particular you don't do so in other people's homes. His mom had a lot to say about locking guns up, no available ammunition, etc., but neither she or the doctor that was quoted made any mention of a parent's resposibility to teach their kids that guns are off limits to them unless there is adult supervision. Any time the issue of kids getting into guns comes up this point should be brought up and stressed.

 

[gt3944]

There are some valid points in this article that should be considered.

1. The "incident" (I won't call it an accident) happened in a relative's home, and that that person should have secured or unloaded any guns if he/she knew that other people's kids were going to be around. Some may say, "well it was their house, why should they have too?" Because I think, there is a difference between "have to," and common sense.

2. At 15, Paul should have been taught that you don't handle guns of any kind without adult permission, and in particular you don't do so in other people's homes. His mom had a lot to say about locking guns up, no available ammunition, etc., but neither she or the doctor that was quoted made any mention of a parent's resposibility to teach their kids that guns are off limits to them unless there is adult supervision. Any time the issue of kids getting into guns comes up this point should be brought up and stressed.

Couldnt agree with you more, especially with statement #2.

 

[middy]

:banghead:

"I didn't think it was loaded, cause I looked at it and I didn't think it was loaded."

Famous last words.

 

[SSN Vet]

Lock 'em up shipmates!!

If you have any possiblility of having young children in your house...lock 'em up.

If your worried about quick access....get a Gun Vault.

IMHO....15 years old is not a child.....should have learned something about guns from his PARENTS and not the TV.

 

[MechAg94]

At 15, he should have known how to check to see if it was loaded as soon as he picked it up. He should have known not to point it at other people.

If you are going to have guns in the house, you need to do some minimal safety and competency training with teenagers at the very least. You can say you will lock them up all you want, but what happens when you forget that one time in 5 or 10 years. The kids need to know the rules and basic familiarity. That also will help kill the "curiosity" bug as well.

 

[Mulliga]

Err... 15 years old and he lets a kid point a gun at him? Okayyy...

 

[etex]

This is a case of an irresponsible parent who neglected to teach their child anything about gun safety, so they blame the gun.:banghead:

 

[Janitor]

Can't find a reference in the article blaming the gun, other than them mistakingly saying that the gun "accidently fired". Was there something else?

At 15, I can't believe the boy didn't have enough of an education to know that he should at least object (and dive for cover) if a gun is being pointed at him.

 

[Brother in Arms]

"I didn't think it was loaded, cause I looked at it and I didn't think it was loaded. He's like yeah I know and he just pulls back the hammer and he's like this is how you shoot it and Bang. I just kind of jumped around at first, I was like, 'Oh my God, call 911,'" he recalls.

Its like..wow,I'm like lucky to be alive.

First of all this kids parents are FOOLS and they raised a FOOL as well. At age 15 he should have known better. Education is the key, if people are morons it doesn't matter how many laws there are, they will hurt themselves with toothbrushes.

Brother in Arms

 

[torpid]

Silly posters, don't you realize that children are to be totally kept away from gun education until they reach 18 years old and become magically "responsible" like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis?

 

[Standing Wolf]

Accidental shootings, they happen far too often.

People who can't compose sentences in garden variety American English shouldn't try to masquerade as journalists.

 

[silverlance]

hm.

people often neglect what i think is the most important rule of all -
don't let guns EVER point at anything you aren't willing to destroy.

that includes legs, tvs, pets, and your neighbor's gerbil.

 

[22-rimfire]

The 15 year old should have known better. He also should have known how to check to see it was loaded. He should have been a leader and make sure the guns were not handled. Never point guns at people (at anything for that matter) unless you intend to shoot them.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

people often neglect what i think is the most important rule of all -
don't let guns EVER point at anything you aren't willing to destroy.

that includes legs, tvs, pets, and your neighbor's gerbil.

??????

I am not unwilling to destroy my neighbor's gerbil ...

 

[Jubei]

["I didn't think it was loaded, cause I looked at it and I didn't think it was loaded. He's like yeah I know and he just pulls back the hammer and he's like this is how you shoot it and Bang. I just kind of jumped around at first, I was like, 'Oh my God, call 911,'" he recalls.

He got the first three words right...He didn't think.

Jubei

 

[Chrontius]

The first corollary of the first rule: If you are ever tempted to shout anything including the phrase "I didn't think it was loaded!" or "I didn't know it was loaded!" you've done something very badly wrong.

 

[Lupinus]

If you have kids and guns in the house at the same time in my view you have two options.

First is education, providing the child is old enough to comprehend and is mature enough. Teach them these are guns, real guns, not plastic toys (even if they are glocks ), these go bang and you don't even need to say bang, these are things easily able to kill you. Teach the kids they aren't toys, you don't touch them without permission (at least untill you are confidint they are old and mature enough to go in the backyard and plink and such alone), only siblings you allow to touch them get to touch them not their friends, the basic rules of gun safty, and how to properly check to see if a gun is loaded or not and that includes all the basic types (auto, bolt, single shot, etc). Basicly cover every last thing and leave nothing to chance. Punish infractions severly. And if you have even slight doubts to safty don't leave them out.

Other option is lock um up. No forgetting, no hiding. Locked. Doesn't need to be ammo and guns seperate, just a good locking safe. Simpler sure, but only as secure as the safe if the kids get into it and whoopsie the kids get into it there is no guarnetee.

You can do both and be more secure, but if there are guns and kids in your house you need to do at least one totaly and not half way. Many of the accidents are with kids who weren't taught proper gun safty and/or guns that were just hidden. In the night stand or under the matress simply doesn't cut it.

 

[kevin7]

This reminded of something I did at my cousins house once.

When I was younger, my family visted my cousins. I found one of my cousins airsoft guns and, being the kid I was, decided it would be funny to point it at my cousins. One of cousins responded by taking the airsoft from me.
The fifteen year old sould have enough sense to not let a child point a gun at you.

 

[romma]

Well

This is almost exactly how I got shot when I was 14. I didn't "let"anyone point the gun at me, I looked over and my brother had a bead on me and too late. Gun Safety is very important.

 

[hso]

Hmmm. My 7 yr old get's a dime every time she quotes the firearms safety rules. She knows that if a gun is found by her or one of her friends that she's to assume it's loaded and that she's to evacuate the area and get an adult even if her friend is interested in the gun and may touch it.

 

[ewb45acp]

I did notice something refreshing in the article. Their "link to handgun safety" was to the PA game commission. Not to the Brady Bunch or similar ilk.

 

[mbs357]

There are some valid points in this article that should be considered.

1. The "incident" (I won't call it an accident) happened in a relative's home, and that that person should have secured or unloaded any guns if he/she knew that other people's kids were going to be around. Some may say, "well it was their house, why should they have too?" Because I think, there is a difference between "have to," and common sense.

2. At 15, Paul should have been taught that you don't handle guns of any kind without adult permission, and in particular you don't do so in other people's homes. His mom had a lot to say about locking guns up, no available ammunition, etc., but neither she or the doctor that was quoted made any mention of a parent's resposibility to teach their kids that guns are off limits to them unless there is adult supervision. Any time the issue of kids getting into guns comes up this point should be brought up and stressed.

Agreed.
Most of these people think the best thing to do is to completely shield their kids from anything gun related. Don't let them know there's a gun in the house, don't teach them anything at all about them, and don't tell them what to do if they ever find one.
And for some reason, they think this is the best way to handle it.
Edit: I just want to say that there was a gun cabinet in the living room of every one of our houses when I was growing up.
I don't ever remember even looking at the thing, much less going through it.
Yea, dad and I did do some plinking and I went with him hunting, but that was about it.