Firearms Safety Revisited

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I know there are some new firearms owners among the readers of this forum. Right now, can anyone other than you or another responsible family member reach your firearm? Right now, are your children home alone with a firearm you have "hidden" but not secured in an inaccessible container? Have you made provisions to 'gunproof' your kids, since it is impossible to kidproof all the guns in the world?

Accidents like the one described below are preventable. In fact, the numbers of firearms accidents in the US have declined steadily through the years, even though the population and the numbers of firearms owners have gone up. But they are still happening, and they are tragic. It is up to you to do what you can to keep accidents (of all kinds) from happening in your home. The NRA's award-winning Eddie the Eagle program is a good starting point for younger children. Older children need the same sort of training you as a new firearms owner should be seeking. Remember, Murphy is always out there. =====================================================================

Boy, 10, Accidentally Shoots Older Brother

Being Held for Illegal Possession of a Gun

Aug. 11, 1999

By Keith Coffman

THORNTON, Colo. (APBNews.com) -- Police here say a 10-year-old boy accidentally shot and critically wounded his 13-year-old brother while the two boys were handling a loaded .357-caliber Magnum pistol at the family home Tuesday.

Joshua Quist was airlifted to a local hospital with gunshot wounds to his upper torso and jaw, according to a release from Thornton police Capt. Tom Manka.

Although Manka listed the incident as an "accidental shooting," the younger boy, whom police haven't identified, was transported to the Adams County Juvenile Detention Center on suspicion of second-degree assault and illegal possession of a handgun by a minor.

The older brother was in intensive care and listed in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery, said St. Anthony Hospital's spokeswoman Bev Lilly.

Parents not home during shooting

Manka said police responded to the Quist home after receiving two 911 calls that a shooting occurred there about 10 a.m. Tuesday.

"Through the investigation it was determined that the two juveniles were looking at [the handgun] at which time the weapon was discharged," Manka said. The boys' parents were not at the home when the shooting occurred, according to police.

Adams County District Attorney Bob Grant told APBNews.com that his office hasn't received enough information to determine whether the boy will be prosecuted.

"But usually in these cases, the detention is more of a protective-type custody for a week to 10 days before it's decided whether charges should be filed," Grant said.

Keith Coffman is an APBNews.com correspondent in Colorado.

)Copyright 1999 APB Multimedia Inc. All rights reserved. --reprinted under fair use provisions for educational purposes only--

-- Lee (lplapin@hotmail.com), August 12, 1999

Answers

Lee, Education is most important. Years ago (about 28), our 5 year old daughter was sent to a pre-school. The lady in charge called me aside when I went to pick up my daughter and said she had never seen a child so thoroughly taught about firearms safety. It seems they had to put away all the toy guns the boys were playing with as my daughter was throwing such a fit! She didn't discriminate between a toy and the real thing. She may have never seen a toy gun before, but it was quite a while before they got the toy guns out again.

I had always had guns around, since shooting and hunting were my principle hobby. I never had any problem with any of my four kids ever handling a gun or allowing any of their visiting friends to do so. The training and cautioning was what I consider to be minimal. I let them touch, feel, and handle any gun (unloaded)they were curious about, and then took them outside, loaded the gun and let them see me fire it (usually at a gallon plastic jug of water). The noise (especially) and obvious damage a bullet can do was all that it took to convince them that they didn't want anything to do with my guns! As they got older, I took them out to the gun range and let them shoot a little. This settled the curiousity and at the same time I taught them safe gun handling.

As an aside; quite a difference between then and now. Today teachers get upset if a kid even draws a picture of a gun, let alone wants to play with a toy one!

Gerald

-- Gerald R. Cox (grcox@internetwork.net), August 13, 1999.


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