Another tragic end for a toddler

[Volzfan]

Sad story.

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/18660051/3-year-old-girl-accidentally-shoots-kills-self

[Timestepper]

[East_TN_Patriot]

I simply can't imagine how I would feel if that happened to me, but the thought is gut wrenching. I don't know if I could keep going with that on my conscience.

Now that my son is old enough to walk around and reach for objects, I keep all of my guns locked up. Even my nightstand gun is in a lockbox in my nightstand drawer.

[daddyo]

Happened at the home of a state trooper???

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

So preventable.. just so sad..

[TripleDigitRide]

So preventable.. just so sad..

Ditto.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch using Tapatalk 2

[Guest kcb37]

That's a sad story no matter what happened it's the outcome.

Something for everyone to think about. If it can happen to a state trooper...

Just another reason, know where your gun(s) is/are, if they are loaded, mag/round in the chamber, and if anyone can get to them at all, out of reach.

[dralarms]

People, please make sure anyone in your household know the dangers. This tragdey was preventable, and I don't mean by locking up your only mean of protection.

MY grandchildren will have yet another safety class tomorrow. There is no excuse for allowing your loved ones access to your firearms without proper training.

My heart goes out to the family of the child, no one but bad guys should ever know what the business end of the gun feels like.

That said, training is the key. make sure anyone in your family knows what to do in that situation and accidents like this can be prevented.

Please, everyone. Have a refresher course with any children in your household or any that may even be in your house.

(any misspelled words can be blamed on the wine I have consumed tonight.)

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

3 year old kids, grandkids or any other kid does not need know where the guns are kept .. 3 year old kids do not handle firearms ..EVER!! .. How a child has access to a gun in a household that is occupied by a state trooper is behond me.. seriously..

This is such a tragedy at the hands of the owners of that house... I am just sick of hearing about this stuff because its so preventable and unnecessary ...Some people just do not need to own firearms if they cant keep em under lock and key when kids are around..

[dralarms]

3 year old kids, grandkids or any other kid does not need know where the guns are kept .. 3 year old kids do not handle firearms ..EVER!! .. How a child has access to a gun in a household that is occupied by a state trooper is behond me.. seriously..

This is such a tragedy at the hands of the owners of that house... I am just sick of hearing about this stuff because its so preventable and unnecessary ...Some people just do not need to own firearms if they cant keep em under lock and key when kids are around..

Yea it is unnecessary, but even at 3 a child can be taught hands off. My grandchildren have known since they were old enough to get around that my guns are off limits under any circumstances.

I feel for the family, but its all training, if you can teach a child to use a toilet then they can be taught hands off of any thing that they are not supposed to touch.

[Volzfan]

Anyone know if LEO's get any training about this issue while in training? Seems that it should be a part of every LEO's training.

[Caster]

And again, another reason I don't have kids.

[Patton]

Anyone know if LEO's get any training about this issue while in training? Seems that it should be a part of every LEO's training.

Training, no! Something's adults should just know. It has made me think about my own home a little more. I don't think there's been a child under 10 here since I moved in but I may need to reevaluate some hiding places.

[peejman]

I didn't read the article because I'm sure it'll just upset me, but I figure I know what happened. My 4 yr old asked to see daddy's guns over the weekend. I opened the cabinet and let him see a few, all the while trying to reinforce that if he ever finds a gun to leave it alone and go get mama or daddy. I try to appease his curiosity and emphasize no touching guns without mama or daddy. I hope that sinks in.

http://www.corneredcat.com/Disarming_Kids_Curiosity/

[Patton]

If this is the Trooper I think it is these may have been grandchildren or not even related to him. Sad no matter what but this is about the third incident of children and guns to come out of that community in the last year it seams like.

[daddyo]

I don't mean to politicize this tragedy, but I wonder if the Brady Bunch will start demanding that the cops be disarmed?

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

it might be right but.. as a 3 year old.. they attention span is 3 minutes if not less.. and while they maybe say ok i wont touch.. I can guarantee you they will if no one is looking because of their curiosity...and because you tell em to not touch it.. they will do it again..

Lock up the guns and they wont have such tragedies...

[hkgonra]

Yea it is unnecessary, but even at 3 a child can be taught hands off. My grandchildren have known since they were old enough to get around that my guns are off limits under any circumstances.

I feel for the family, but its all training, if you can teach a child to use a toilet then they can be taught hands off of any thing that they are not supposed to touch.

I remember when my son was a toddler my brother came home after working undercover for 36 hours straight and collapsed in the recliner at our parents house.

He had pulled three guns out and laid them on the table beside him just to get comfortable and collapsed into a coma.

My son came home from pre-school and walked into the living room , saw the guns and woke him up.

" You need to put your guns up, I might have a friend coming over."

Yes kids can be taught, they should be taught even if you don't have guns as odds are they will at some point be in a house that has them.

[Volzfan]

My wife and I never had kids so no grandkids or any others are ever ion my home but I don't have guns hidden around my home. I keep one on my belt from the time I get up till I go to bed and then it goes between the mattress and box springs. It's a part of me that I rarely ever notice that it's there.

[tennessee01tacoma]

Truly a sad story. I believe training is the key. I just recently purchased my first handgun and I'm very careful about leaving it out, I always know where it is and I never leave it lying around with one in the chamber. This story strikes a special chord for me. Just the other day when talking to my papaw about my pistol and how I was getting better shooting it. He jokingly said "You've been shooting pistols since you were a little feller." He then laughed and told me about the time I was between 2-3 years old I found my dads 357 in his k5 blazer and shot a hole through the back seat and floor. I could have been on the nightly news over 20 years ago. I thank God keeping me safe. My dad then taught me the right way been shooting as long as I can remember.

[Makiaveli]

it might be right but.. as a 3 year old.. they attention span is 3 minutes if not less.. and while they maybe say ok i wont touch.. I can guarantee you they will if no one is looking because of their curiosity...and because you tell em to not touch it.. they will do it again..

Lock up the guns and they wont have such tragedies...

Have to disagree with you on this. You are partly right, but if you hide the guns away, deny them ANY access, then yes they will be all over them at the first opportunity. Doing as people here are saying, letting them see them goes a long way.

For example, when my son was around 6 he attended a military hardware show with a friend of the family. He asked to see the 96F a guy had and the man cleared it and handed it to him. The first thing my son did was check to see if their was a magazine in it and when the guy protested he would never hand a kid a loaded weapon, he was told "I'm just making sure...that's what you're supposed to do" like he was lecturing another kid. Slayed everyone in the vicinity, and earned him a chance to play with the MGs they had on display.

Point being, he was told early on the usual, never touch etc. He was also told when he was old enough we would go on supervised trips, and when he was mature (not old, explained the difference many times) enough, he was welcome to get them and go any time he wanted. Mine is yours and all that.

[jgradyc]

Anyone know the type of firearm? The article only says it was a 45ACP. My first thought (after "how tragic") before reading the article was "Glock." After reading the article, I'm leaning even more towards Glock. The most popular 45ACPs are Glocks and 1911-style service autos. I doubt if a toddler would be strong enough to turn off the manual safety on a 1911-style 45 and I'm sure they couldn't manage the trigger pull of most DAO semiautos, like the AMT backup for example.

That's not to imply anything about securing weapons away from children. It's just that an inordinate number of these ADs seem to involve Glocks.

Edited June 3, 2012 by jgradyc

[TMF]

That's not to imply anything about securing weapons away from children. It's just that an inordinate number of these ADs seem to involve Glocks.

Handgun safeties don't exist to keep kids from shooting themselves, they exist for the shooter. The weapon should have been secured or the child shouldn't have access to that area. The gun is not responsible here.

[jgradyc]

Guns are almost never responsible, except when there is a catestropic failure to perform as intended. We can agree on that. I'm just asking if it was, or was not, a Glock. Anyone know?

[Guest bkelm18]

Anyone know the type of firearm? The article only says it was a 45ACP. My first thought (after "how tragic") before reading the article was "Glock." After reading the article, I'm leaning even more towards Glock. The most popular 45ACPs are Glocks and 1911-style service autos. I doubt if a toddler would be strong enough to turn off the manual safety on a 1911-style 45 and I'm sure they couldn't manage the trigger pull of most DAO semiautos, like the AMT backup for example.

That's not to imply anything about securing weapons away from children. It's just that an inordinate number of these ADs seem to involve Glocks.

I'm quite positive a little toddler is strong enough to disengage the safety on a 1911. They're not that difficult to disengage.

Edited June 3, 2012 by bkelm18