5 year old shoots 6 year old brother

[howdy]

3rd one this week in Houston

http://www.click2houston.com/news/deput ... f/31564960" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Right2Carry]

Parents need to be held accountable, there is just no excuse for this type of loss of life!

[C-dub]

Parents need to be held accountable, there is just no excuse for this type of loss of life!

Hammer them. Take any other kids away and place the with other family if possible.

[Charles L. Cotton]

A lot of folks want the parents head for this tragedy. I never seem to see anyone wanting the parents blood with any type of preventable accident other than firearms.

How about when a child drowns in a swimming pool, drinks Drano or other household chemicals, is crushed by a TV they pull over, chokes to death on hard candy, gets killed by the family dog, pulls a skillet of hot grease on themselves, falls down a stairs and is seriously injured or killed, or gets out of the house and behind Mom or Dad's car? If we are going to be so draconian about a child's injury or death, then let's go all the way and make accidental injury to a child a "strict liability" crime, regardless of the mechanism of injury or the surrounding circumstances.

This is tragic to be sure, but it's also a mistake they will never make again. They have already been punished enough, far more than anything the State can do.

Chas.

[C-dub]

True enough Charles. And most of those things really are accidents and even when parents try the kids can sometimes still figure out ways around the preventative measure. This, though, is such a simple thing to prevent. I'm not advocating punishing them any more than the law already allows for, but we're always harping about enforcing the laws on the books. It seems like there is always an excuse for not punishing someone when something like this happens.

[rbwhatever1]

A lot of folks want the parents head for this tragedy. I never seem to see anyone wanting the parents blood with any type of preventable accident other than firearms.

How about when a child drowns in a swimming pool, drinks Drano or other household chemicals, is crushed by a TV they pull over, chokes to death on hard candy, gets killed by the family dog, pulls a skillet of hot grease on themselves, falls down a stairs and is seriously injured or killed, or gets out of the house and behind Mom or Dad's car? If we are going to be so draconian about a child's injury or death, then let's go all the way and make accidental injury to a child a "strict liability" crime, regardless of the mechanism of injury or the surrounding circumstances.

This is tragic to be sure, but it's also a mistake they will never make again. They have already been punished enough, far more than anything the State can do.

Chas.

Well Said Sir. This is indeed already tragic enough.

[Texas_Blaze]

firearm left unattended on purpose (i.e. hiding spot)? Firearm left unsecured (misplaced, forgotten about) when owner is distracted? What other possibilities?

You ever find yourself caught up in thought when driving, only to come back to the task of driving and realizing how inattentive you were? Driving 70 mph and not focusing on it?

I imagine that people get comfortable with firearms to such an extent that focus is lost.

Putting some measures in practice can reduce the possibilities of a tragedy. Keep the gun on you or only handle it in front of your safe, or store it in the safe. I do this. I have four kids in the house. Lord help me to never lose a healthy fear.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I imagine that people get comfortable with firearms to such an extent that focus is lost.

This is the one that scares me the most. Complacency can be deadly. It happens to COPs, pilots, driving (as you mentioned), SCUBA divers, you name the activity and the greater the experience and familiarity, the easier it is to be complacent.

Chas.

[rtschl]

with Charles.

[CoffeeNut]

When you have kids in the house you're supposed to keep certain things away from them and even have locks on drawers to dangerous items such as kitchen knives (or at the very least on a counter out of their reach). Guns have far less uses in the house than many other household items so excuses for leaving them accessible to children should be treated skeptically. Simple child-proof safes aren't expensive nor are they difficult to operate anymore. My tolerance for parents leaving their guns accessible to children gets less and less every time I see one of these stories.

I don't have the same reaction when I see the statistics on deaths by televisions simply because that seems more accidental (although certainly preventable) whereas an "accidental" death by a weapon seems negligent.

[Oldgringo]

A lot of folks want the parents head for this tragedy. I never seem to see anyone wanting the parents blood with any type of preventable accident other than firearms.

How about when a child drowns in a swimming pool, drinks Drano or other household chemicals, is crushed by a TV they pull over, chokes to death on hard candy, gets killed by the family dog, pulls a skillet of hot grease on themselves, falls down a stairs and is seriously injured or killed, or gets out of the house and behind Mom or Dad's car? If we are going to be so draconian about a child's injury or death, then let's go all the way and make accidental injury to a child a "strict liability" crime, regardless of the mechanism of injury or the surrounding circumstances.

This is tragic to be sure, but it's also a mistake they will never make again. They have already been punished enough, far more than anything the State can do.

Chas.

Well said; FWIW, I agree with you.

[Right2Carry]

A lot of folks want the parents head for this tragedy. I never seem to see anyone wanting the parents blood with any type of preventable accident other than firearms.

How about when a child drowns in a swimming pool, drinks Drano or other household chemicals, is crushed by a TV they pull over, chokes to death on hard candy, gets killed by the family dog, pulls a skillet of hot grease on themselves, falls down a stairs and is seriously injured or killed, or gets out of the house and behind Mom or Dad's car? If we are going to be so draconian about a child's injury or death, then let's go all the way and make accidental injury to a child a "strict liability" crime, regardless of the mechanism of injury or the surrounding circumstances.

This is tragic to be sure, but it's also a mistake they will never make again. They have already been punished enough, far more than anything the State can do.

Chas.

You think that 5 year old will grow up normal after killing his sibling due to the neglectful actions of the parents?

[rbwhatever1]

You think that 5 year old will grow up normal after killing his sibling due to the neglectful actions of the parents?

"As of noon, the child was said to be in critical condition but was expected to survive."

http://www.kens5.com/story/news/2015/03 ... /24269223/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jmra]

You think that 5 year old will grow up normal after killing his sibling due to the neglectful actions of the parents?

"As of noon, the child was said to be in critical condition but was expected to survive."

http://www.kens5.com/story/news/2015/03 ... /24269223/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's great news. Hopefully he makes a full recovery.

[C-dub]

You think that 5 year old will grow up normal after killing his sibling due to the neglectful actions of the parents?

"As of noon, the child was said to be in critical condition but was expected to survive."

http://www.kens5.com/story/news/2015/03 ... /24269223/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's great news. Hopefully he makes a full recovery.

That is great news!