Idaho Walmart shooting is latest example of fatal combination of children and guns

[umbertino]

No definitive figures exist for people killed or injured by children who get their hands on guns but an average of 62 children a year die in unintentional shootings

 

•  
• • Lauren Gambino in New York
  • Follow @LGamGam Follow @GuardianUS
  • theguardian.com, Thursday 1 January 2015 15.45 GMT

 

 

On 5 April, a two-year-old accidentally squeezed the trigger of a cocked and loaded .357-caliber revolver, which had been stashed under his mother’s bed for temporary safekeeping. It fired, and the bullet struck his 11-year-old sister in the chest, killing her.

 

The week around Halloween was marked by three toddler-involved shootings, which injured two children and an adult.

 

On 30 December, an Idaho woman was accidentally shot dead by her two-year-old son while shopping at a local Walmart.

 

Such cases involving young children and firearms are shocking but not altogether uncommon in the US. Each year, dozens of children are killed in unintentional shootings; others pull the trigger, accidentally injuring and killing parents, siblings and friends.

 

“These are preventable deaths,” said Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “They’re tragic and horrible, but ultimately preventable.

 

“This tragedy in Idaho needs to be the start of a serious national conversation about children and firearms. Because carrying a loaded gun in your purse while shopping with your two-year-old is a recipe for disaster. And in this case, the worst-case scenario played itself out.”

 

There are no definitive statistics on how many people are accidentally injured or killed by children and toddlers who get their hands on guns.

 

According to federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 62 children aged 14 and under died each year in unintentional shootings between 2007 and 2011.

 

But there is a caveat, explains Bob Anderson, chief of the mortality statistics branch with the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Anderson said it was not uncommon to classify unintentional firearm deaths in which one person shoots another as a homicide, even if police reports indicate the shooting was an accident.

 

“What this means is that we underestimate accidental firearm deaths,” he said, adding: “We don’t really have a good assessment of the extent to which we underestimate these.”

 

There are studies that support the undercount, though they differ on the degree to which the figures are unreported. A 2013 New York Times investigation found that accidental shootings occurred roughly twice as often as the records indicate.

 

Organizations like Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America advocate for stronger laws to punish adults if they fail to store a gun safely and a child is able to access it. Just under 30 states and the District of Columbia have laws that hold gun owners criminally liable if children get hold of their guns, though nearly half of those states require proof that the owner intentionally, knowingly or recklessly gave the child a gun, according to a report by Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

 

The National Rifle Association has long opposed safe-storage laws, arguing that such measures address an inconsequential problem. The NRA’s position, as stated on its website, is that education and training are paramount for preventing gun violence.

 

There is also a push for Congress to fund research on “smart gun” technology – a concept of equipping firearms with fingertip recognition or RFID chips, for example – that proponents say make handguns safer. Proponents of such “smart guns” have said the NRA is the main obstacle to their development.

 

“As the leading firearm safety organization in the world we are heartbroken when tragic accidents occur,” Jennifer Baker, the NRA’s director of public affairs, told the Guardian. “No other organization does more to teach safe and responsible use of firearms than the NRA.

 

“The NRA teaches people how to prevent tragic accidents from happening and has been successful in saving lives, while, the anti-gun groups like those funded by billionaire [former New York mayor] Michael Bloomberg exploit tragedy to push legislation that infringes on law-abiding citizens’ right to self-protection.”

 

 

 

 

Many states hold gun owners criminally liable if children get hold of their guns. Photograph: Ed Andriesk/AP

 

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/01/idaho-walmart-shooting-fatal-combination-children-guns

 

Thank God it's extremely rare over here but just today not far from my town... A Policeman 's daughter died after finding Dad's gun at home and shooting accidentally... Very unfortunate...Only child of the family

Edited January 1, 2015 by umbertino

[Nelg]

Don't give a two year old the keys to the car either.  They can kill themselves, others, and do a world of damage.  Better yet, why don't we just remove all the cars and truck from the road.  Parents do not need to be out driving with their children in the car.  Who knows what damage they will do.  

We MUST have more control on those adults and parents driving automobiles!  

[markb57]

God Bless The NRA!

[RVWITHME]

Nothing wrong with having a gun, but keeping a round chambered isn't the most prudent way to carry.

Neither is keeping the gun in a purse when it should have been holstered, especially when being carried around kids.

Just saying.

[gymrat76541]

10 Common Causes of Death for Children

1. Car accidents.2. Drownings. 3. Fires. 4. Running in front of a car. 5. Bicycle accidents. 6. Poisoning. 7. Falls. 8. Suicides. 9. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. 10.  Birth defects.

 

I goggled and these are the most common!

Deaths of children due to guns to a very low percentage!

Edited January 2, 2015 by gymrat76541

[FlintNPebbles]

Nothing wrong with having a gun, but keeping a round chambered isn't the most prudent way to carry.

Neither is keeping the gun in a purse when it should have been holstered, especially when being carried around kids.

Just saying.

They did state it was a new purse specially designed for concealed carry with a zippered area for the pistol.  Seems idiotic to have a round chambered and the safety off...it that was not the case...then what in the world was she doing that her 2 yr old could accomplish that and her not notice?  There would not be any way I would have have my pistol (even in my new conceal carry purse) anywhere my 2 yr old could get it accidentally or otherwise.  As it is...in Walmart I never leave my purse in the cart even when I look away for just a minute...I put it on my shoulder and I am not carrying a pistol in there!

 

Edited to add...it's a sad sad story no matter how it happened  Her family said she grew up around guns and had the utmost respect for them along with training. 

[Hooter]

Everyone should give all their guns to a local police station or government agency for proper disposal. Then we will all be safe. 

[gymrat76541]

Everyone should give all their guns to a local police station or government agency for proper disposal. Then we will all be safe. 

WOW 

Yes, then only police & criminals will have guns! That will ensure I sleep well at night! N O T !

 

Hey, lets make drugs against the law! Oh yeah, we already did. See how well that works! LOL

They did state it was a new purse specially designed for concealed carry with a zippered area for the pistol.  Seems idiotic to have a round chambered and the safety off...it that was not the case...then what in the world was she doing that her 2 yr old could accomplish that and her not notice?  There would not be any way I would have have my pistol (even in my new conceal carry purse) anywhere my 2 yr old could get it accidentally or otherwise.  As it is...in Walmart I never leave my purse in the cart even when I look away for just a minute...I put it on my shoulder and I am not carrying a pistol in there!

 

Edited to add...it's a sad sad story no matter how it happened  Her family said she grew up around guns and had the utmost respect for them along with training. 

 

 Revolvers do not have a safety, and a round is always chambered! Dahhhhhhhh

[FlintNPebbles]

WOW 

Yes, then only police & criminals will have guns! That will ensure I sleep well at night! N O T !

 

Hey, lets make drugs against the law! Oh yeah, we already did. See how well that works! LOL

 

 Revolvers do not have a safety, and a round is always chambered! Dahhhhhhhh

So very sorry gymrat.....I have never had a revolver.....and I guess I missed that part where it said that.  No need to be rude.  Then it seems to me that she should have been even more careful and carried her purse with her.   Still a very sad situation.

[gymrat76541]

FlintNPebbles we do agree! Very sad! I feel for the family.

[RVWITHME]

WOW 

Yes, then only police & criminals will have guns! That will ensure I sleep well at night! N O T !

 

Hey, lets make drugs against the law! Oh yeah, we already did. See how well that works! LOL

 

 Revolvers do not have a safety, and a round is always chambered! Dahhhhhhhh

 

Well, after reading the story (again) as well as another supporting story on the same incident, I did not see any mention of the weapon being a revolver.

 

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't so I cannot assume a "dahhhh" on that item because I did not see the fact of it being a revolver. However, the real point is that the gun was supposed to have been contained in a special (hidden) compartment that regular adults were not supposed to even notice. If a 2 year old could find it, the purse was not all that good at its intended purpose of concealment in the first place.

 

I'm still trying to comprehend how a woman leaves her purse (and 2 year old) unattended in a shopping cart for more than 5 seconds, especially knowing there is a loaded pistol in it.

 

One thing I did notice was a quote from one of the stories:

"“All the precautionary measures weren’t taken to ensure the safety of that weapon,” Miller said later."

 

Regardless, this is still a tragedy for the family, especially in the future when the son starts asking serious questions about where Mommy is.

 

I wouldn't want to be the person who has to provide those answers to that little boy.

 

Sad...

[bigwave]

10 Common Causes of Death for Children

1. Car accidents.2. Drownings. 3. Fires. 4. Running in front of a car. 5. Bicycle accidents. 6. Poisoning. 7. Falls. 8. Suicides. 9. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. 10.  Birth defects.

 

I goggled and these are the most common!

Deaths of children due to guns to a very low percentage!

Thank you Gymrat I think it is 0.00000019% (62 divided by 315 million.)

[Hooter]

Guess nobody understands sarcasm.

[nstoolman1]

 

 

 a round is always chambered! 

 

 

 

 

Some people carry with the hammer on an empty cylinder. 

 

 

 . 

Edited January 2, 2015 by nstoolman1

[dontlop]

Everyone should give all their guns to a local police station or government agency for proper disposal. Then we will all be safe. 

15,000 people are murdered each year just in the United states

You think people shouldnt be concerned about their security

You think they should just call the police when someone is murdering them and wait for the police to show up?

It's just the most convienent way to kill someone when the noise isn't the issue

Eliminate the guns and the murderers will just move to the next most convenient weapons to kill with

Forget the idea of removing guns. It's not going to happen until the killing stops , then you won't need to remove them either

If someone wants to kill someone then they are going to do it unless you can stop them , mental illness can take over a human any time anywhere , you should be prepared defend yourself or be prepared to die

I don't have a gun , so I guess I'm prepared to die

Unless I can kick their teeth down their throat after I strangle them half to death

Stomping with the heal of my foot

Crazy people

It's not a new thing

It happens

Ok it's sarcasim

[tkeaton]

Guess nobody understands sarcasm.

 

I thought your statement was sarcasm, but there ARE some loons who believe that getting rid of guns will keep everyone safe, so I wasn't sure. +1 on both your posts.

[umbertino]

Quote

15,000 people are murdered each year just in the United states

End Quote

In Brazil it's about 50,000 every year... And Brazil Pop. is 200M Vs. a US Pop. of around 317M

 

Rio de Janeiro alone (  7M people) has around 6k  homicides yearly ( 500 monthly)

 

 In this country of mine ( which is full of various problems) we've been having  ( so far) an average of  about 600 ( less than 1k) homicides yearly except some bad years when the mafias kill each other  savagely for power.

 

Italy Pop. is around 60M

Edited January 2, 2015 by umbertino

[Maggie123]

Everyone should give all their guns to a local police station or government agency for proper disposal. Then we will all be safe. 

 

The laughing icon should have been a good clue you were being sarcastic... tried to fix the negs for you Hooter.

 

Some of the "fragile ones" are hitting Umberto pretty hard too... he contributes a lot to this site and I think it is shameful that some fragile folks gang up with the negs. He gives us so much more to discuss here than we would have otherwise.

 

I say "fragile people" because they are too weak to stand up like an adult in the room and state their opinions/objections/arguments...WEAK and FRAGILE!!!

 

Well, after reading the story (again) as well as another supporting story on the same incident, I did not see any mention of the weapon being a revolver.

 

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't so I cannot assume a "dahhhh" on that item because I did not see the fact of it being a revolver. However, the real point is that the gun was supposed to have been contained in a special (hidden) compartment that regular adults were not supposed to even notice. If a 2 year old could find it, the purse was not all that good at its intended purpose of concealment in the first place.

 

I'm still trying to comprehend how a woman leaves her purse (and 2 year old) unattended in a shopping cart for more than 5 seconds, especially knowing there is a loaded pistol in it.

 

One thing I did notice was a quote from one of the stories:

"“All the precautionary measures weren’t taken to ensure the safety of that weapon,” Miller said later."

 

Regardless, this is still a tragedy for the family, especially in the future when the son starts asking serious questions about where Mommy is.

 

I wouldn't want to be the person who has to provide those answers to that little boy.

 

Sad...

 

Good post RVWITHME...

 

There are always "would have" "should have" hindsight's in tragic accidents like these. Let's just hope folks who are around little ones learn from that hindsight and are more careful when it comes to fire arms.

 

I'm sure this family is totally devastated by what happened and my heart goes out to them. Truly Sad...

[umbertino]

Quote

Some of the "fragile ones" are hitting Umberto pretty hard too... he contributes a lot to this site and I think it is shameful that some fragile folks gang up with the negs. He gives us so much more to discuss here than we would have otherwise.

End Quote

Grazie, dear Sister...You words are always appreciated... About getting  hit  by rubies....I accept it as it's part of the democratic  ( meaning democracy, not party......)  game...One writes stuff and / or reports articles  etc in a Forum and it's only logical , normal, obvious that  the very  moment  the post / article / whatever is out one knows whatever was posted will be subject to  judgment....either indifference, good reception, lukewarm reception, bad reception and  also real bad at times.... It's ok....
 

Edited January 2, 2015 by umbertino

[SnowGlobe7]

we love you umbert...no negs anymore

[umbertino]

we love you umbert...no negs anymore

A brotherly hug for your friendship  and kindness, dear. It's appreciated

[gregg450]

Anti gun groups will always pool the numbers for all and any tragic event together to further their agenda and persuade the uneducated public. It is really sad when these things happen but it is the adults fault not the children. You wouldn't let them play with knives either right? Where are the laws against knives and lighters for that matter? 

Edited January 2, 2015 by gregg450

[dog53]

It all boils down to 

safety safety safety.

If you have a child in the home.

Keep your guns locked until they are old enough to

understand them.

For personal protection at night load a shot gun before retiring for the night.

unload it in the morning. .Its a shame that these things do happen

But its no less tragic then a auto accident when a child is killed

and you can  believe a auto  accident occurs  way more then

children being killed by a gun in the home.

Lets just look at it for what it really is

​a unfortunate tragic  accident .