It doesn't get more negligent than this

[Private R Wiggum]

Update: 15-year-old killed in Forest Grove shooting - KPTV - FOX 12

Every home should have a firearm at the ready for home defense. Even with no parental supervision, it should not have ended up with this tragic outcome. Firearms safety instruction is a must for youths.

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[Father of four]

I like what you posted. Not what happened.

Just wanted to be clear.

Howard

 

[Mark W.]

Update: 15-year-old killed in Forest Grove shooting - KPTV - FOX 12

Every home should have a firearm at the ready for home defense. Even with no parental supervision, it should not have ended up with this tragic outcome. Firearms safety instruction is a must for youths.

Are you assuming this was an accident? I didn't ready anything that ruled out an intentional act. Just saying.

 

[trainsktg]

We know nothing of the circumstances here. From the comments on the link, most folks are assuming that this shooting happened in the home where the 14 and 15 year old lived. It is very possible they were visiting the 'adult' 18 year old in his own home or apartment. Parental supervision may have been impossible in this case. And I too agree, this could have been intentional.

Keith

 

[Father of four]

Every home should have a firearm at the ready for home defense. Even with no parental supervision, it should not have ended up with this tragic outcome. Firearms safety instruction is a must for youths.

I think it is a great idea for us all to have firearms in our homes for protection. We should teach our children about the proper and improper use of firearms.

 

[dolooper]

We know nothing of the circumstances here. From the comments on the link, most folks are assuming that this shooting happened in the home where the 14 and 15 year old lived. It is very possible they were visiting the 'adult' 18 year old in his own home or apartment. Parental supervision may have been impossible in this case. And I too agree, this could have been intentional.

Keith

I suspect it was in the home of the 18 year old's parents. He said it was his dad's gun. And, it happened on a block of single-family homes, something few 18 year olds could afford to rent or own. Tragically, just two or three blocks from the hospital, so it's unlikely anything could have been done for the victim.

That's conjecture on my part, for sure.

 

[Private R Wiggum]

I think it is a great idea for us all to have firearms in our homes for protection. We should teach our children about the proper and improper use of firearms.

yap... with firearm ownership comes great responsibility...

 

[trainsktg]

I suspect it was in the home of the 18 year old's parents. He said it was his dad's gun. And, it happened on a block of single-family homes, something few 18 year olds could afford to rent or own. Tragically, just two or three blocks from the hospital, so it's unlikely anything could have been done for the victim.

That's conjecture on my part, for sure.

Yeah, it looks like they updated the info since I posted. They originally wrote that they weren't sure where the girl got her injuries from or who's shotgun it was.

So...I amend my statement in light of the new information. i too agree that improper training of young people in firearms handling and improper storage of loaded firearms is a bad combination.

Keith

 

[Hawaiian]

Sounds like the Dad had an unsecured gun in the home and never taught his son how to safely handle one. Much less never took him shooting so he could learn about guns and realize that they are not toys and you never point them at anything you are not willing to destroy. The gun did not go off by itself, the kid had his finger on the trigger. Very sad for all involved and their families.

 

[trainsktg]

Yup. Start 'em early and take 'em often. My kids have become so sick of 'Dad's Hobby' that firearms hold as much allure for them as the Business Section in last Wednesday's newspaper.

Keith

 

[krkruse]

Yep another case of bad parenting.. I hope the press dose not use this as one of those "guns are all bad" campaigns.
Hope the families are coping well .

 

[moose]

My 5 year old, bless her heart, quotes firearm safety to me when we go to the range together.

 

[Private R Wiggum]

here's some memorable youtube vids by Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch... he definitely helped me understand the seriousness of gun safety. "IT'S A LIFESTYLE CHANGE!"

[ on Gun Safety ]

[ Three Places For a Handgun ]

also on youtube there are many vids of young kids competing in IPSC from .22 to .45!

 

[darkminstrel]

I trust my kids with the guns. They know how they work, what they do, and what could happen if they're not respected. Their friends on the other hand...

 

[Misterbill]

"They were throwing around the loaded shotgun trying to scare each other." -So says the article.

I agree that obviously these kids weren't trained. But at 14, 15 and 18, if you need training to figure out that throwing around a loaded shotgun in an effort to scare each other is smart, you have brain damage.

This sounds like Darwin at work.

 

[Stomper]

My 5 year old, bless her heart, quotes firearm safety to me when we go to the range together.

That's AWESOME!!

I ALWAYS make each of my kids repeat the "law of safe gun handling" BEFORE they are allowed to even handle a weapon let alone shoot one at the range.

Yup. Start 'em early and take 'em often. My kids have become so sick of 'Dad's Hobby' that firearms hold as much allure for them as the Business Section in last Wednesday's newspaper.

Keith

I trust my kids with the guns. They know how they work, what they do, and what could happen if they're not respected. Their friends on the other hand...

Although I keep ALL of my firearms locked up when they are not under MY direct control, I too "basically" trust my kids with guns as they see my CCW EVERYDAY, and I'm always "tending to" my "inventory" (hardware and/or ammo) so the "magical-mystery" is over... they don't even bat an eye at the sight of my (perhaps someday their) "stuff".

BUT that being said, "kids will be kids" at times and familiarity CAN breed contempt, and it almost always seems to be that one "frik-stick" of a kid who comes over for a visit when the parents aren't home that casues an issue.

I'm proud of my kids, because (case in point) that one "frik-stick" of a kid came over when me and the Mrs. were out, and he wanted to tap into the booze in our closed cabinets... my kids shut him down and showed him the door!!

That kicks donkey!!


BTW- Its a good thing they made the right choice, because I have each bottle very discreetly marked where the level of it's content is... AH HA!!!

"They were throwing around the loaded shotgun trying to scare each other." -So says the article.

I agree that obviously these kids weren't trained. But at 14, 15 and 18, if you need training to figure out that throwing around a loaded shotgun in an effort to scare each other is smart, you have brain damage.

This sounds like Darwin at work.

The process of natural selection is a cold cruel thing... IMHO the 18yr. old should be held accountable.

 

[darkminstrel]

I have to double-dip on this one; After posting in the thread last night I went and checked all the guns in the house for security. We don't use a safe, just a case and I remove the bolts from the rifles and have sturdy U-channel locks through the chambers of those that can't easily have the bolts removed(12ga, pistols). A simple bit of security and not one of those kids would have been hurt.

As an aside I told my eldest about the story and his reaction was 'Why were they being so stupid? I wouldn't have let them near the gun in the first place'. Raise 'em right.

 

[CharonPDX]

From the story:

Based on the preliminary investigation, Herb says the group of teens were in the backyard of the house and were tossing and playing around with the gun.

"They were trying to scare each other," Herb says.

Lesson 1: If you have firearms in your house, and anyone you don't know is properly firearm-trained has access to your house (as in: you have a teenage kid, and they bring friends over - even if your kid is firearm-trained,) make certain your firearms are secured.

Lesson 2: If you have firearms in your house, and have children (or grandchildren/nieces/nephews/etc that visit often,) teach them proper firearm safety from the earliest age possible. From "do not ever touch the gun" as soon as they are old enough to understand that, to the golden rules of firearms safety along with a demonstration of "here is what the gun does" when shooting a watermelon as soon as they are old enough to understand that.

When I brought home a couple of new rifles recently, I set them on the couch temporarily to take stock of them, show them to my wife, etc. My daughter (7 years old) came in, looked at them, remarked that one was "pretty" (a 1939 Mosin-Nagant 89/31 in immaculate condition; I wouldn't have used the word "pretty", but sure, it is one of the firearms that I would say qualifies as "art" with its simplicity,) and then remarked on the SKS parts that I had arranged. She asked very politely if she could pick up one of the SKS parts (the stock.) This is a daughter who will regularly pick things up from my desk and play with them without asking (with me right there so to see her have proper respect made me happy. However, no matter how well trained she is, I won't ever expect any of her friends to be the same. All weapons in my house are locked up tight, and always will be. (Loaded handgun in quick-open combination-lock case right next to the bed for if I ever need it; everything else in double-locked safe, with ammunition stored separately.)

 

[del_and_bones]

Good points all around. I grew up with 30 firearms on a wall of my parents house and my friends and I never touched them. We all were taught to not handle guns unless an adult was present. There is a reason I've only had 12 people other than myself in my apartment. Anyone I've invited over knows that I have them and is informed not to touch them. Whenever I have kids I hope they turn out as well as all of your guys's.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

from the story:

Detectives have learned that Ward had the gun and pointed it at Lester and the gun discharged, Herb says.

Another way to put it was he pointed the shotgun at the 15 year old's face and pulled the trigger. Whether or not he intended to fire is uncertain, but he broke all 4 rules.
I think if they were trying to scare each other they succeeded.