Four-year-old dies from gunshot

[egressingsparrowdrop]

BATESVILLE, Ind. - A 4-year-old boy died late Wednesday afternoon after he was shot in the abdomen at his home, according to the Indiana State Police.

http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110216/NEWS01/302160031/Four-year-old-dies-from-gunshot?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|communities|s

No word on what happened, exactly, yet...but it's pretty obvious it was a tragic accident. Guns not loaded in a home with kids - not locked in a gun cabinet/safe - are a recipe for disaster.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lawodevolution]

4. Informing you of the truth is celebrating? Fail.

[HankyDubs]

7. oh so then...

When people mention subjects like the one above, and are then accused by the gungeon of being "ghouls" and "exploiting" the tragedy, your answer to them would be:

FAIL.

[lawodevolution]

10. no, exploiting tragedy is when a law maker like McCarthy

is waiting for a tragedy to occur so that she can start tricking and manipulating people into passing her legislation. That's exploitation

[HankyDubs]

12. oh then

I guess she must be exploiting her own husband's murder then. That's a sane point of view.

[Callisto32]

16. Self-Delete

Read wrong. Just got up, sorry.

[RSillsbee]

2. How does this current events news story fit the mission statement for this forum?

Discussion of gun-related public policy issues or the use of firearms for self-defense belong in the Guns Forum.

[egressingsparrowdrop]

3. gun-related public policy

It is, likely, yet another example of why guns should be secured when not in use...a policy in many places that works well to keep people safer.

Any suggestion of implementing the policy in places where securing a gun is not required can cause pro-gun advocates to accuse others of begin "gun grabbers"

[lawodevolution]

5. You have the option of buying a gun safe if you would like.

What new laws do you think would help avoid accidents like this?

[RSillsbee]

6. I firmly agree w/ you

When my guns are not in use they are locked in a safe. Since I carry a gun at all times (as does my wife) there are always two not in the safe but they are under our direct control.

How do you intend to enforce a law requiring people to secure their weapons while not in use? Who determines 'in use"? Do you intend to do random checks of gun owner's homes to ensure compliance?

[egressingsparrowdrop]

8. Well...

There are many such laws on the books now. It's the law in Canada, for example.

Of course, you're not allowed to carry a gun around with you in Canada...so that confusion of "in use" doesn't exist. In the case of states allowing you to carry a gun, not in use would mean not on your person. You couldn't leave your gun on the table and run out for a pack of smokes, for example. Or leave it in the kitchen and go downstairs to the rec room to watch a movie. Trigger lock and/or safe.

Random checks? God no. It's enforced in situations like the OP...if an accident happens the owner is charged with unsafe storage. Or if it's stolen, for example.

[RSillsbee]

13. In use

I'm in kind of a weird situation because I have a legitimate threat hanging over my head. So when I say I carry a gun at all time I mean at all times. So if I'm in the rec room the gun is there w/me if I run out for smokes ( I don't smoke) I'm carrying anyway.

The only time I'm not actually carrying a gun is when I'm in bed and then it's on the night stand sans trigger lock.

WRT The OP if you follow the story I am sure you'll find that the parents are charged w/ some type of reckless endangerment or negligent homicide.

[slackmaster]

19. Scotland has random home checks by police to ensure that people are storing their firearms correctly

We have a thing called the Fourth Amendment that prohibits random checks.

[safeinOhio]

11. The old empathy game

I'm a gun owner and I follow all the laws so you have no business trying to improve safety. It's an old trick to get sympathy and then get rid of all gun laws so the person who has a criminal record can finally buy a gun.

[RSillsbee]

14. People that have criminal records can buy guns now NT

[armueller2001]

17. I've never seen or heard

anyone advocate for "getting rid of all gun laws so criminals can buy guns"

Wtf are you smoking dude

[Euromutt]

15. But you don't know that, since "Investigators are still trying to determine what happened."

So isn't it possible, perhaps, that you're being a wee bit precipitate?

[slackmaster]

18. We all agree that it's important to secure firearms when they aren't in use

I think the public policy implication is the importance of teaching gun safety to everyone. It's not necessary to apply the blunt instrument of the criminal justice system to every possible situation.

Basic gun safety should be taught in public schools.

Any suggestion of implementing the policy in places where securing a gun is not required can cause pro-gun advocates to accuse others of begin "gun grabbers"

I'd call someone who wants to impose a specific storage requirement on everyone a busybody rather than a gun grabber. A storage method that is appropriate for a household with children may not be the best solution for a divorced empty-nester or a disabled person who lives alone.

[safeinOhio]

9. Fits better than wild

conspiracy theories about DU members.

edited to make post a response to post #2

[ileus]

20. Every gun I have is locked up except those by my side.

if it's off my side I'm either in bed and it's on the nightstand or it's locked up. (MY SD weapon that is)