Tragic event

Anonymous-0 · Mar 5, 2009

I heard on the radio this mourning that a 12 year old kid was home from school sick, his father was cleaning a gun and accidently shot the kid and killed him. No charges were filed. It happened in Michigan. Who would clean a loaded gun, around there kid? I just cant figure out some peoples stupidity. Did anyone else hear about this.

CWL · Mar 5, 2009

Who would clean a loaded gun period? The first thing is to unload the mag. then clear the chamber. Then clean to your hearts content.

big fred · Mar 5, 2009

I guess I'm not much of a gun enthusiast, but I fail to see how you clean a loaded gun. Maybe by "cleaning" they meant he was wiping off the fingerprints before he tossed it in a lake?

Fordman6442 · Mar 5, 2009

That is inexcusable, in Canada you must pass tests to have a gun. We have what is called ACTS & PROVE.

ACTS
A-Assume every firearm is loaded
C-Control the muzzle direction at al times
T-Trigger finger must be off the trigger and out of the guard.
S-See that the firearm is unloaded"PROVE IT SAFE"

PROVE
P-Point the firearm to the safest direction
R-Remove all cartridges
O-Observe the chamber
V-Verify the feeding path
E-Examine the bore

This father will be devistated for live,along with the rest of the family. If he had of performed the above before putting the gun away and again when he brought it out, that 2 minutes would have been worth eternity. Prayers to him and his family. Don

LAA · Mar 5, 2009

I agree with you fordman6442 but I think the way I learned and taught my sons works better. Because in America, if your lucky, as I was, you have a Father who taught you all of those things.

RN · Mar 5, 2009

What kind of gun? specifics please-revolver, selfloader with or without magazine safety, rifle, shotgun? How long had gun been possessed? How experienced was shooter?
Madison Wisconsin has had a couple accidental discharges involving police guns- one was the police chief at the time, the other was female cop examining other cops gun before possible purchase. Things happen. RN

Anonymous-0 · Mar 5, 2009

I dont know what kind of gun, the raido dident say. Maybe someone else knows. I only heard what I posted.

bob featherstone · Mar 5, 2009

things happen ? wow ? shouldn't happen & we should be looking at doing whatever needs to be done to make sure it doesn't happen
tragic? yes but some one still has to be held accountable
bob

comfortking · Mar 5, 2009

This is very tragic indeed. I would be most sure this father never thought this could or would happen to them, he never started cleaning this gun thinking and knowing it would alter his judgment or his reaction time to anything.
However anyone that has ever taken a drink of alcohol knows their judgment and reaction times will change and for the most part people drink hoping this will happen. Where I ask is the big out cry for the thousands killed and mangled on our nation roads when we know this will happen. The reason people drink is to alter their mood or the way they think. Lets do something about this. Drinking affects more people and cost more lives and money than all of the wars put together.

ScottyHOMeY · Mar 5, 2009

Though I haven't heard where alcohol was involved in this case, you make a good point. My rule - NO gun gets touched for any purpose if I've had a drink, nor by anyone around me if they've had a drink. Most responsible folks would apply that to before shooting. I apply it to the cleaning afterward, as well. Yeah, a beer might be nice after an afternoon at the range or the gravel pit, but NOT a SIP until the guns are cleaned and stowed.

LAA · Mar 5, 2009

I don't understand the mindset that ''we should be looking at doing whatever needs to be done to make sure it doesn't happen'' --- there are plenty of laws already on the books in every state in the union to cover what has happened -- thinking that accidents and stupidity can be legislated out of existence has brought about most of the loss of personal freedom and the nanny state we now live in. Somebody else is dying of something preventable right this minute and there is not a thing any branch of goverment can do to stop it.

RayP(MI) · Mar 5, 2009

Local news report had it a black powder revlover.

rhouston · Mar 5, 2009

"Cleaning my gun" Is the standard excuse used when you did something stupid with a gun and need to cover it up. I know because my father's second wife shot herself in the foot "while cleaning her gun"

She never owned nor would she ever clean a gun. She shot herself in the foot on purpose during a fight with my father. My father told me this after she had passed. (not from the gunshot wound)

So yea, there is some truth missing from this story

Spook · Mar 5, 2009

We need a IQ test for gun ownership. And for a driver's license.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 5, 2009

I hate to admit it but I have done it. I cleaned the gun in the basement and was watching TV at the same time so my attention was not focused. Got it all cleaned and even dry fired it to see if it worked OK. Then while still watching TV I put the clip back in not thinking it might have shells in it. While still watching TV just before I put it in the case I put the bolt back in and just pulled the trigger before putting it inside the case. It was pointed at the poured cement wall when it went off. I can tell you it was a LOUD awakening for me. Never leave a clip in a gun, watch TV, listen to the radio, or have friends over talking when you do gun work.

Hills of TN · Mar 5, 2009

Rhouston is right - most of the gun cleaning "accidents" in my area didn"t involve gun cleaning at all. The gun cleaning excuse is used to hide careless handling or playing around with the gun.

I place these kind of accidents in the same category with kids getting hurt riding on tractors, not buckled up in cars, or letting teenagers have their own car when they are not mature enough to handle the responsibility. The only problem is that in the case of the gun, society sees the gun as the evil doer, not the stupdity of the person. When it involves tractors or cars, no one blames the car or the tractor - just the stupidity of the individual who allowed it.

As far as an IQ test for gun owners and car drivers, let"s add an additional group. Make everyone take that IQ test before they are allowed to reproduce. It is time to clean up the gene pool! (Ron White is right - you can"t fix stupid after they reproduce.)

RN · Mar 5, 2009

Black powder revolver? Colt patterns need to knock out wedge in barrel through cylinder pin- might jar a half cocked hammer and fire or cap on another loaded chamber could fire if hit by small hammer or whatever. Remington patterns most have notch between nipples and cylinder pin pulls out the front, relatively easy to change cylinders. If you drop either loaded and capped cylinder on floor a chamber can fire. Try to pry off caps before disassembly and very rarely it might go off- Civil war re-enacters at target range told don"t try to pry cap unless aimed down range, a couple incidents over the years of hangfire cap. Got to be carefull with old designs. RN

GeneMO · Mar 5, 2009

I don't want to get in an argument with the fine folks here, but I guarantee I can pass any IQ test or gun handling class anyone can devise, (within reason on the IQ). I have been through 4 separate hunter safety classes, with the kids, yet I have made stupid mistakes and had a couple of accidental discharges or close calls with guns. There are probably few here, if they would admit it, that have not done bone headed things with guns, or other dangerous items.

This dad will live with this every day of his life.

You just can't call that bullet back.

Gene

Oldmax · Mar 5, 2009

Sounds like the woman in the nwxt town a few years ago shot her husband 5 times "accidently" with a single action revolver. She got with no jail time.

bob featherstone · Mar 5, 2009

my point exactly lots of laws governing ownership & guns in general but no charges filed ??????????? i understand the whole " right to bear arms " thing in your constitution, but the comment of " things happen " really struck a nerve is no different than if i drove drunk & got in an accident & killed my kid, or let him ride on the hood of my tractor & he fell off & was killed i would expect to be held accountable not have some one say " things happen " JC we are talking about a childs life here no punishment will bring himback, and god knows what the father is going through but it was his reckless actions that caused it
bob

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