Folks I think all the parents here are smart enough NOT to keep a loaded gun in the house or at least a keyed safety lock on them. Monday here in my small community of Farmington, KY a 11 year boy was shot and killed with a loaded shotgun by a neighbor boy. The parents were not home, this is the 3rd death of a child by a loaded gun this year in my general area of W KY, S IL, E MO, NW TN. It's senseless loss of life. We knew of the family, but did not know them and the child was 1 year behind one of mine in school. My daughter knew him as Farmington Elementary is a very small school, it is difficult to explain to her as this is the first time a she has known someone about her age to die.
The boy that shot him says it was an accident and they thought the gun was unloaded, he is 15 and now he is charged with murder under Kentucky law. Likely to be charged as an adult.
Folks please if you haven't are ready teach your kids or young people you know to ALWAYS treat a gun as if it is loaded, always. And keep them out of reach of children, put a trigger lock on them or keep them locked up. It's just common sense and I hope you folks have it, you seem too.
My wife been up at the school helping the kids try to understand what happened and next week after the kids have worked threw some of their grief. a few of us dads are going to talk to the school about gun safety. This is something that we use to do in school when I was a kid, for some politically correct reason we got away from it and child death from firearm accidents have skyrocketed.
Here are the stories ...
11 year-old Shot to Death in Graves County, Kentucky (http://www.wpsdtv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=15cb91ba-402e-4b17-8985-062ddb972506)
15 Year Old Charged with Murder in Graves County, KY (http://www.wpsdtv.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=0c609a33-6622-402a-8a25-7bf597709d88)
Paducah Mother Reaches Out to Murdered 11-Year-Old's Family (http://www.wpsdtv.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=e9be2fe7-e7e0-4a29-ad84-4dd6b9afae08)
Here's a pic taken last week, the first week of school.
That is just awful. I tell you, when I was six my Dad took me out and made me shoot his deer rifle at a milk jug. I hit the jug, but the gun's kick knocked me over and made me cry. He took me over to the jug, showed me the damage, and told me it would put a hole just as big in me or anyone else it hit . . . then said "Son, NEVER point a gun at something unless you're gonna shoot it." The lesson stuck. My 12 gage has a trigger lock on it right now.
It's been a tough week around here, Farmington is only about 500 people the school has about 282 kids due to the fact it is the 3rd highest rated school in the state, highest in the district and many of the kids come here from other communities and counties (KY has school of choice, if you pay $500/yr tuition to the school.) The family lived about 4 miles from me which around here is 7 houses down. (6 houses/farms and then that trailer park which really is very well kept.) They haven't released the name of the shooter yet but I think I know who it is and rumor confirms it. Pretty sad as I think he too was a pretty good kid too. It's just really tragic and 2 families lives are changed forever.
Yes, I too have my guns in a large wall gun vault, only I and wife has the combination. With a copy in the safety deposit box just in case. But something so simple as a $15-$20 trigger lock could have prevented all of this and people just don't think. Myself and others have offered to buy trigger locks for any school parent that can't afford one, we have friend that own gun stores that will sell them to us at cost. So hopefully something like this will not happen again. Hindsight is 20/20.
Terrible shame. My condolences to the family.
I'm a firm believer in the right to keep and bear arms, but along with that right comes the responsibility to keep them safe. Even though I live alone I don't keep any of my guns loaded -- ammo and guns are on different floors.
:bluesad: That's a very sad story, cheeze: my condolences to the families as well.
I grew up around weapons in what was then Rhodesia, I lived through 13 years of war and my Dad served in both the army and later the police. All of this led me to have a serious respect for weapons of any kind: I am actually scared of them, but would not hesitate to use what I have in order to protect my life and those of others should those lives be threatened.
Crime is spiralling out of control in South Africa ~ they should bring capital punishment back. :bluesad:
I got rid of my guns after my ex-brother in law shot a guy in the back with a 12 gauge. It bugged my kids out. Now Uncle LeRoy is in prison for life. No use for 'em anymore.