Webster, N.Y., sniper's ex-neighbor charged with buying him guns

[thucythucy]

107. No need to "jump",

it's just been my experience here that once a thread is more than a few days old people tend not to revisit, and I was genuinely curious about your answer.

Unless you had the key or combination to the gun cabinet, it was actually your parents who were the responsible gun owners, at least until you were of age--sixteen or so. It may sound like a technical point to you, but I think it's an important one.

As for them "thinking they were raising a well adjusted kid who knew how to pay attention and wasn't a psycho nut"--well, that's probably the case with most parents who introduce their kids to guns at an early age, including the ones who turn out to be, shall we say, "less well adjusted." We don't know too many verifiable details, as yet, about the Connecticut shooter's family, but I doubt his mother or anyone else were thinking, "Adam is growing up to be an absolute sociopath with homicidal tendencies, let's teach him how to shoot." Same deal with the man who killed John Lennon, who was "mentored" as a child by an adult who taught him how to use a firearm. I recall an interview with the guy who said, basically, "I never expected him to kill anybody." Well, let's hope not.

Which is the whole point. In your case it turned out well (thus far), but I still think six or eight or even twelve years old is a little young to be training anyone how to use a lethal weapon. Gun safety, yes, but not anything like firearms proficiency.

Just my humble opinion.

Best wishes,

Thucy