TexasCHLforum.com

Tragedy for all involved. Avoidable as well.


"CORSICANA –- An 8-year-old boy found a loaded 20-gauge shotgun and killed his 3-year-old cousin, who was visiting from Nacogdoches, Monday.
Braison Howard, 3, was killed instantly, neighbors said, at a home in Eureka near Richland Chambers Reservoir. It’s about 15 miles southeast of Corsicana."


http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/3-year-o ... 54241.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yet there are people who tell me that hiding a gun will keep kids from finding it, or that "their kids know better".

Very sad for everyone involved. I will be praying for this family. What a tragedy.

Very Sad.

ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!

Kids are amazing little creatures. They can and will get into everything they are not supposed to unless you make it a 100% certainty that they cannot get into it!

ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!ALWAYS LOCK UP THE GUNS!!!!

jbarn wrote:Yet there are people who tell me that hiding a gun will keep kids from finding it, or that "their kids know better".

Lockem or wear'em.

however, kids need to be taught, for situations just like this. Going over to someone's house and stumbling into a firearm. If their friends, cousin etc, has one in hand get out of there. granted this 3yr old is unable to comprehend.

Took mine out to the land and fired a round into a watermelon without hearing protection. Got their attention. Learned from someone on this forum.

I grieve for the child and his family. It makes me want to throttle the adults in charge.

Texas_Blaze wrote:

jbarn wrote:Yet there are people who tell me that hiding a gun will keep kids from finding it, or that "their kids know better".

granted this 3yr old is unable to comprehend.

You'd be surprised sometimes. My 3 year old was around 2.5 when she saw me disarming and putting my gun away in the safe. She said very sternly "Daddy! No no!!"

It was nice to see some of the basic things I'd taught her so far were sinking in. That said, definitely lock em up or wear em. I don't even like keeping my carry guns loaded in the safe.

SQLGeek wrote:I grieve for the child and his family. It makes me want to throttle the adults in charge.

Texas_Blaze wrote:

jbarn wrote:Yet there are people who tell me that hiding a gun will keep kids from finding it, or that "their kids know better".

granted this 3yr old is unable to comprehend.

You'd be surprised sometimes. My 3 year old was around 2.5 when she saw me disarming and putting my gun away in the safe. She said very sternly "Daddy! No no!!"

It was nice to see some of the basic things I'd taught her so far were sinking in. That said, definitely lock em up or wear em. I don't even like keeping my carry guns loaded in the safe.

I agree, my 3 year old has been taught since he was around 18 months that guns are tools not toys and will gladly tell you so. I am prior LEO and have seen these unfortunate instances as well, I believe that the problem is two fold as education is important but securing weapons is critical as well. If my child sees me draw my weapon to he will tell me it is not a toy he also does not even touch any of my safes or holsters that may be floating around. I also took him out at about 2.5 yo and gave him the watermelon demonstration which worked very well. But definitely lock up your weapons. This goes for all weapons not just firearms, as friend walked into his den and found his toddler playing with arrows complete with broadheads luckily the child was not hurt, but after he told me about it I went out and purchased a locking storage cabinet for my archery equipment as did my buddy.

Texas_Blaze wrote: however, kids need to be taught, for situations just like this. Going over to someone's house and stumbling into a firearm. If their friends, cousin etc, has one in hand get out of there. granted this 3yr old is unable to comprehend.

Schools either ignore the topic of guns or grossly overreact to anything that suggests a gun such as a pointed finger or a chewed pop tart, meaning that the children will never be given reasonable gun safety instruction.

And since many parents are just as ignorant on the subject, they won't do any better.

I'm a pretty hard nosed old sod, but this is terrible, just plain terrible.

Put them on or lock them away. No in between! Cornered cat taught me that. (Women's gun web site).

So so sorry. It is a horror show when things like this happen.

My prayers go out to the families of both kids. This is truly a sad situation.
My grandkids are all now at least in their teens. I have always kept my firearms in a safe when not on me and still do, even though they have all been around guns and taught safety almost since they could walk. I have 2 weapons not in a safe but in a concealed piece of furniture built for quick access with hidden locks that only my wife and I can get into and I keep a 1911 in my nightstand drawer except when the kids are there, then its locked away.
Do I think my grandkids would ever grab a gun even by accident, no. However, this was a habit I got into when my kids were toddlers and who knows, I may become a great-grandfather someday (just not too soon I hope ).

And, as usual, nobody will be charged for making firearms accessible to minors.

Just my verytragicbut100percentpreventable .02,
LeonCarr

Texas_Blaze wrote: SNIP Took mine out to the land and fired a round into a watermelon without hearing protection. Got their attention. Learned from someone on this forum.

My dad did that when we were little. Made quite the impression on us kids. We knew where his shotgun was at, but even though we got into some of dad's other stuff, we didn't touch the shotgun.