Reply #54: Gee, you think so?

[slackmaster]

My "shoebox on a closet shelf" may not be a strictly accurate representation of how the firearm in question in this specific case was stored...

That sums up my opinion of your post nicely.

iverglas editorialized:

The gun did not have a trigger lock, but it was not stored haphazardly or recklessly, authorities said. It was not locked away, but also "wasn't left out in an area where anyone would normally see it," Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck said.

But all you have to do is change the added emphasis to make it appear that the DA was at least leaning toward not saying the gun was stored in a negligent manner:

The gun did not have a trigger lock, but it was not stored haphazardly or recklessly, authorities said. It was not locked away, but also "wasn't left out in an area where anyone would normally see it," Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck said.

iverglas opined:

there a closet shelf known to man or woman that yer average 14-year-old boy would not
(a) expect to find if he opened a closet door?
(b) be able to reach probably without any height aide, but be able to reach handily by grabbing a chair that he would easily find in a nearby room?
(c) look on, if he were on the prowl for something interesting, or specifically looking for firearms?

You are forgetting the discussion is hypothetical. For all we know, the gun may have been stored in the attic. But if keeping it in the closet suits you, that's fine with me. I prefer to wait for all the facts to come to light before I pass judgement on another person's actions.