3-year-old girl finds gun, shoots self in head

[leatherneck]

We do not punish people criminally in this country for acts of negligence. If it rises to the level of recklessness, then it might be punishable criminally. Civil, yes. Criminal, no.

 

I'm with Dad, these people screwed up, they have to live with it, there is no need to send them to jail too.

 

It may very well be that in Detroit, you keep a loaded gun. Putting a handgun in a "gun safe" doesn't do you much good when an intruder is upon you in the middle of the night.

 

Terrible tragedy and I hope the hand of God is on the child, the parents, and the doctors treating her.

 

 

Gee, a former prosecutor and a defense attorney disagreeing on whether a crime was committed. :argue:

 

While the facts in the article are thin, I could see facts developing that would support reckless behavior.

 

I'm a gun owner and a strong gun rights supporter, but there is zero reason to keep a loaded gun in an area where a 3 year old could reach it.

[MrsFairFan]

:thumb:

 

With ownership comes responsibility.

 

 

Agreed!!!!! My Husband wants a gun. I am not against him having a gun, but me was a mom and a worrier has a bad feeling about it being here. The gun needs to be in a safe LOCKED, and then a gun lock needs to be on it, and if need be, have the sucker taken apart. Knowing that there is a gun in the home and knowing we have two very NOSEY children scares me to death. Then I see these stories and it puts me over the edge. I mean, my husband leaves his softball bat out, and we all have to duck and hide (could get ugly with a 19 month old and a big bat on the loose) A gun accidentally left out with no lock is not a funny matter.

[Qryche11]

I disagree, it's a terrible accident. I don't think that punishing them is the right cause of action, I'm sure they didn't intend for this to happen. Sometimes kids just get in to things, should they have been watching a 3 year old a little closer definitely, but accident's happen.

 

You cant be serious. I dont care if you are president of the NRA, if you leave a loaded gun out where a 3 yr old can get ahold of it and kill herself then you should be charged. Mistake or not it is negligence. I am with LN, the article is sketchy of facts but most times in these cases the guns are negligently laying around for kids to pick up and I will go out on a limb and say that drugs and alcohol are probably involved as well.

[PurpleHaze]

I am sure that these people will never forgive themselves. I have told this before....I don't know if it was on BGP or not, but when I was 10 years old, a friend of the family was at her baby shower...as was her 4 year old. She had been attacked about a year earlier and kept a gun in her purse. Her four year old, being board, went through her mom's purse. She found the gun and took it to the living room....she pointed and shot at her mom's stomach and the baby she was carrying was killed....she then, in a matter of seconds and because she got scared...pointed the gun away from her mom and at herself and shot and killed herself....the mom lived. The unborn and the four year old did not. Kathy and Jim never forgave themselves and never had anymore children...don't know if they could or not or if that was a choice...just know they never did. Kathy almost died and says that she wishes she did. Our family lost touch with this family when we moved from Washington State, however, it was indeed horrible.

Now, they were not charged. Reading this article, I tend to say yes, charge them....however, knowing these two people...Kathy and Jim....it would have been horrible for them to be charged...they were wonderful parents who really loved their little girl and unborn child. These people did not do anything that would ever harm their children....except this one horrible thing....

No one in our community wanted them charged...however, it was no secrete that Kathy wanted to be punished..she asked to be charged. I don't know how I feel about it, I really don't. The "mother" in me says yes, they were at fault. They should be charged. And I agree, with the ownership of a gun comes responsibility. Also, with being a parent comes responsibility. Are you going to leave medication in reach of a child, or, are you going to leave outlets uncovered....how about leaving bleach on the floor with the lid off...this is the same thing as leaving a gun in reach of a child...it is neglect and can get your child killed...well, I guess I do know how I stand on this subject. It is just after knowing these two people, this makes this story kind of personal.

[HT721]

You cant be serious. I dont care if you are president of the NRA, if you leave a loaded gun out where a 3 yr old can get ahold of it and kill herself then you should be charged. Mistake or not it is negligence. I am with LN, the article is sketchy of facts but most times in these cases the guns are negligently laying around for kids to pick up and I will go out on a limb and say that drugs and alcohol are probably involved as well.

 

Depends on what your definition of negligently laying around is. What if it was in cabinet or night stand or something and the little girl was going through things like children are known to do. I bet you keep sharp knives in your kitchen, what if your child gets in to them and falls and stabs them self, should you go to jail because your child got in to something and got hurt? We can't assume these people were automatically on drugs or the gun was just laying out in the middle of the floor loaded, we don't know. To hang these people from a tree because of this horrible accident is not they way to go about justice. Again tragic accidents happen, thats what this is a very tragic accident, nothing more nothing less.

[20/20Hindsight]

Depends on what your definition of negligently laying around is. What if it was in cabinet or night stand or something and the little girl was going through things like children are known to do. I bet you keep sharp knives in your kitchen, what if your child gets in to them and falls and stabs them self, should you go to jail because your child got in to something and got hurt? We can't assume these people were automatically on drugs or the gun was just laying out in the middle of the floor loaded, we don't know. To hang these people from a tree because of this horrible accident is not they way to go about justice. Again tragic accidents happen, thats what this is a very tragic accident, nothing more nothing less.

 

 

Just as I think it is in the best interest of all involved to keep a gun under lock and key, I think it is just as wise to childproof cabinetry in order to avoid these accidents. The key is that these accidents are PREVENTABLE by taking a few common sense precautionary measures.

[warrior_69]

I disagree, it's a terrible accident. I don't think that punishing them is the right cause of action, I'm sure they didn't intend for this to happen. Sometimes kids just get in to things, should they have been watching a 3 year old a little closer definitely, but accident's happen.

 

Accidents don't happen they're made. I'm not saying that I oppose having guns in my house because I have several. But I don't keep them loaded nor do I keep the clips anywhere near them.

[True blue (and gold)]

I feel totally safe here in the USA, can't say I'd feel that way in Europe. Did they explain why their burglary rate went up after their gun ban?

 

So you don't feel like you a need a gun in your house for protection? Now, keep in mind I own one, too, more than one actually. My "protection" gun is kept loaded in a gun safe.

 

I was once at a house visiting a friend. The friend had had a house guest the night before. All of a sudden, the friend's four year old son comes walking out of the guest bedroom with a revolver. Yep, it was loaded. Luckily it was too massive for him to be able to pull the trigger on or maybe we were just lucky. The kid found it in the night stand, where the guest had put it the night before.

 

With gun ownership comes the need for responsibility.

[Birdsfan]

We can't assume these people were automatically on drugs or the gun was just laying out in the middle of the floor loaded, we don't know.

What do drugs have to do with this? Nothing. Let's not cloud the issue. We know the facts, and we know that they were horribly wrong. Also, the "knife drawer scenario" isn't relevant to this situation, since these are utilitarian items. But of course, knives should also be kept out of a child's reach.

 

These people left the gun in a place that their child could get to it. So it might just as well have been laying on the floor. Not locking up your weapon is the worst sort of criminal negligence! An accidental shooting, such as this one, should be the most preventable tragedy in the world.

 

Common sense tells us that a weapon has one purpose...to kill. There is no reason a child should be able to access such a thing. If you want to teach your older child to shoot a gun, that's one thing. But to leave a deadly weapon laying about, or in a drawer, or in a box hidden away where you wish your dead child hadn't been smart enough to discover it -- is the very worst kind of carelessness.

[Birdsfan]

So you don't feel like you need a gun in your house for protection?

Oh don't worry. He's got that covered!

[Run To State]

So you don't feel like you a need a gun in your house for protection? Now, keep in mind I own one, too, more than one actually. My "protection" gun is kept loaded in a gun safe.

 

I was once at a house visiting a friend. The friend had had a house guest the night before. All of a sudden, the friend's four year old son comes walking out of the guest bedroom with a revolver. Yep, it was loaded. Luckily it was too massive for him to be able to pull the trigger on or maybe we were just lucky. The kid found it in the night stand, where the guest had put it the night before.

 

With gun ownership comes the need for responsibility.

It's because I can do this that I feel safe in this country.

 

The guest should have had a speedloader ready to go kept separate from the gun with no rounds in the gun.

 

I fully agree with gun ownership and responsibility. I'm not arguing that at all.

[Run To State]

There is no reason a child should be able to access such a thing. If you want to teach your older child to shoot a gun, that's one thing. But to leave a deadly weapon laying about, or in a drawer, or in a box hidden away where you wish your dead child hadn't been smart enough to discover it -- is the very worst kind of carelessness.

Totally agree.

[Run To State]

Oh don't worry. He's got that covered!

:ylsuper:

[True blue (and gold)]

It's because I can do this that I feel safe in this country.

 

The guest should have had a speedloader ready to go kept separate from the gun with no rounds in the gun.

 

I fully agree with gun ownership and responsibility. I'm not arguing that at all.

 

I know that you agree. Honestly, I feel totally safe where I live. But...I was raised to respect guns and how to use them properly. One never knows where any knowledge might come in handy.

[Qryche11]

In the end your probably right, its tragic enough that this happend for the family so God be with them during this horrible time.