Boy finds key to gun safe and shoots self in head

[BlackRidge]

Serious shame. Even a gun-safe isnt safe enough when you have kids. Trigger locks FTW

 

[chemist]

Now the detectives are saying that it was his 8-yr.-old brother who shot him in the head.

<broken link removed>

The older kid not only dug up the key, unlocked the safe, and shot his bother, but then he reflexively lied about it when asked by grownups.

 

[Cougfan2]

Now the detectives are saying that it was his 8-yr.-old brother who shot him in the head.

<broken link removed>

The older kid not only dug up the key, unlocked the safe, and shot his bother, but then he reflexively lied about it when asked by grownups.

This explains a lot. I kept wondering in the back of my mind what the heck was that 8 year old thinking watching his little brother unlock the safe, get the handgun, and shoot himself. This just makes me sick. That kid and that family's life is ruined.

 

[MarkAd]

Amen Sawdust.
I feel nothing but sorrow for he family. But at the same time I question what training the kids had with guns. If it had been my guns they would have been empty with kids in the house if I had only a key lock safe. Things like this are why I use a double lock safe.

 

[kenno]

What can one say?
There is nothing, no words, no emotion that can convey the sense of lose, the tragity, the earth rending cascade of guilt and despair that has descended on this family.
To even comment on thier grief is to act the fool as no person can concieve of the soul shattering lose.
One can pray for healing. These people will need prayers for the rest of thier shattered lives. It is hard to say it but the poor victim of this terrible occurance may be the only one at peace. This is the sort of horror that echoes down the decades, ratteling through history till it reaches a dead end in some gutter.

 

[marty8587]

My dad kept his guns and my pocket knife in his unlocked gun cabinet we knew not to get into it as his little skinny belt could raise a welt if you looked at it to close. I feel for the family. Before I had kids I lived with my wife in inner NE PDX, I slept w/gun under the mattress. My wifes freinds kid was supposed to be taking a nap on our bed when I checked on him he had the gun and buck knife out but not unholstered, Thats when my security tightened up. But for the grace of god go I.

 

[009]

very sorry to hear this. education must start at the home. i would like to know how often this took place say 100-200 years ago.

 

[SloBone21]

I have three kids 6, 5, and 3. I constantly drill it into their little noggins that guns are always to be treated as though they are loaded, and they know to never touch a firearm without my permission. I realize that a young child can't actually comprehend death, but I never leave my guns loaded.
Sometimes I wonder what good they will do if someone breaks into our home?:huh:

 

[coctailer]

I think the key is to not make guns taboo for the kids.
If you have kids, let them hold them(unloaded of course) and answer their questions about them. Let them give the gun back when they are done checking it out. NEVER demand it back. Let them take their time looking.
As a gun dealer, I have tons of different items come in. Most of the time, my kids are like "Meh, whatever"
If one interests them, I let them check it out.
If you can teach the 4 basic firearms safety rules to your kids at an early age, you will be better off.

 

[coctailer]

Also, I tell my kids if they are EVER over at a friends house, and their buddy shows them their Dad's gun, or any gun, to run home and tell me or my wife.

Never had it happen, but I hear about the "Check this out" stories.

If anyone wants trigger locks for their guns for free, I will give them to you.
Never hesitate to ask me.

 

[VW_Factor]

Very sad, I too blame the parents.

By age 4 or 5 I knew how to shoot and clean my .22 rifle. I knew where the firearms were kept in both my parents and my grandparents house, none of them locked and a couple loaded. I also knew I wouldn't be able to sit down for a week if I ever touched a gun unsupervised or without permission. Proper education is far more of a deterrent than any lock and key.

+1

 

[SloBone21]

I think the key is to not make guns taboo for the kids.
If you have kids, let them hold them(unloaded of course) and answer their questions about them. Let them give the gun back when they are done checking it out. NEVER demand it back. Let them take their time looking.
As a gun dealer, I have tons of different items come in. Most of the time, my kids are like "Meh, whatever"
If one interests them, I let them check it out.
If you can teach the 4 basic firearms safety rules to your kids at an early age, you will be better off.

I totally agree!
I grew up in Thailand where firearms are illegal though so I guess I don't really know what works for kids. It's all new to me. All three of my kids sit around the table while I clean the guns, and I let them handle the guns and have taught them to check to see if the gun is loaded. Mainly though, I worry that another child will be careless with a firearm.

 

[SloBone21]

Also, I tell my kids if they are EVER over at a friends house, and their buddy shows them their Dad's gun, or any gun, to run home and tell me or my wife.

Never had it happen, but I hear about the "Check this out" stories.

Exactly!

 

[deen_ad]

12. It was not locked up nor was the ammo. I was raised to respect guns and I do!

----------------------------------------------------------

The "Trade Rating" is low by 3
Not everyone posts it I guess.

Deen
NRA Benefactor/Recruiter
WAC member
SWWAC member

 

[coctailer]

If anyone wants free trigger locks, I have dozens of them.
I will probably start bringing them to the gun shows to hand out.

If you see me at a show, please don't be embarrassed to ask for as many as you want.

If you ask for 10, I'll probably give you 20, just so you can give them to your neighbors.

Absolutely free.
My kids are the most valuable thing I have. Your kids are the most valuable thing you have as well.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

Sad, story. Hope his family pulls through the sadness.


Are the trigger lock work for hand gun and long guns?

If so, May i please have like 10? So i can have 5 and pass out to my friends.

I will pick it up from your store/house?

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

So, uh, not to be insensitive, but who here's parents hadn't taught them by the time they were old enough to swipe keys and break into stuff what could happen if you screw around with guns unsupervised?

You can teach kids that age all you like and there is never a guarantee of their behavior. People make the mistake of believing that children that age have the same rational thought processes of adults. They simply do not. They are just not capable of that level of reasoning at that young age.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

very sorry to hear this. education must start at the home. i would like to know how often this took place say 100-200 years ago.

I am sorry too. A hundred years ago guns were as common as a hammer or a shovel, and considered to be in the same class. All were tools. A kid would no more injure himself with a gun than hit himself in the head with an axe. Kids saw the results of using a gun every day and they knew how to use them. I was raised that way. My dad was born in 1902. He grew up with a gun in his hand. He'd have gone hungry many nights if he hadn't been able to shoot something for dinner. I was shooting at the age of 3 (with help). There are photos of it in the family album. My dad's guns sat in a cabinet in a corner of the living room, unlocked, with ammo on the top shelf. I was never tempted to fiddle with any of it.

That said, my step kids were raised without guns around until they were about 5 years old. So yes, except for home defense and CHL weapons are unloaded and in a double lock safe. I carry the only key. There is no spare. The ammo is locked up in a different location. My CHL weapon is in my pocket and under my control. My HD weapon is in an electronic combination safe.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I have three kids 6, 5, and 3. I constantly drill it into their little noggins that guns are always to be treated as though they are loaded, and they know to never touch a firearm without my permission. I realize that a young child can't actually comprehend death, but I never leave my guns loaded.

Take them hunting. Let them see what guns can do and let them see what death is. They will comprehend.

 

[SloBone21]

Take them hunting. Let them see what guns can do and let them see what death is. They will comprehend.

They all went with me a couple times this year. Unfortunately, I didn't get squat!