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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFather Accidentally Shoots Accidentally & Accidentally Kills Son....By Accident
Accidents happen. Here....perhaps some thoughts & prayers will help.
A Cincinnati father accidentally killed his 14-year-old son on Tuesday after mistaking him for a home intruder and shooting him in the neck, police said.
The victim was identified as Georta Mack, police said in a statement.
The father believed his son had already gone to school that morning, but Georta returned home shortly after.
Authorities said the man was still in bed when he heard a noise in the basement and retrieved his handgun before going to check on it.
http://www.wlwt.com/news/police-on-scene-of-shooting-in-east-price-hill/37387912
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TexasProgresive
(12,157 posts)but he did not accidentally discharge a firearm that killed his son. He fired on purpose but as usual with these incidents was not sure of his target. Stupid is as stupid does. This is my fear of so many firearms in the hands of so many- there will be some who are irresponsible.
sunnystarr
(2,638 posts)This was clearly an accident. The father is 73 years old and raised the 14 year old on his own. He loved his son who obviously had some problems in school and was attending an alternative school. The father took him to the bus stop that morning. Then went back to bed. The son snuck back in the house through the basement. When the father heard noise coming from the basement he got his gun to deal with an intruder. But when he went downstairs the kid jumps out and startled the dad and the gun went off.
This site has much more detail.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/01/12/police-teen-mistaken-intruder-shot/78672506/
The father will never get over this. I get so angry over guns in any home.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)
ManiacJoe
(10,136 posts)The father purposely fired the gun intentionally at his target without first identifying the target.
This was not accidental; this was pure negligence.
When the reporter calls this an accident, he is just being nice instead of correctly saying "dumbass".
louis-t
(23,296 posts)second amendment injuries.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)
Mariana
(14,860 posts)He's only upset that he killed his son instead of someone else.
Response to SoCalMusicLover (Original post)
Person 2713 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Electric Monk
(13,869 posts)saturnsring
(1,832 posts)His father grabbed his handgun and went to the basement, police said. As the father opened a door within the basement, his son appeared behind the door, startling the father. The handgun discharged and struck the teen, police said.
just f-king discharged all on it's own
Orrex
(63,219 posts)Hmm...
Vinca
(50,300 posts)If the father had bothered to identify the source of the noise he wouldn't have shot his son.
madokie
(51,076 posts)SoCalMusicLover
(3,194 posts)There ain't no way he blames himself or the gun. That gun will be right back on his nightstand, but at least next time he won't have his son to worry about shooting.....not that he was worried this time, but now at least the kid is out of the picture.
TeddyR
(2,493 posts)And DU members want to politicize this fact. I say fuck all of you that would prosper on the bones of a child
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Are your gungeoneer buddies mourning the poor kid? How about dad who could have called police and stood guard if the suspected burger tried to enter the house?
SoCalMusicLover
(3,194 posts)Let's wait until there's at least a 2 week period between these "accidents" before politicizing.
Perhaps it's the gun lovers who are insensitive, and the anti-gun folks are the ones who care. At least being anti-gun, the kid would still be alive.
But gun proponents are definitely needed for the "thoughts and prayers" and the "too soon to discuss" talking points.
Bettie
(16,118 posts)between incidents?
Ever? Nope.
Electric Monk
(13,869 posts)
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)In fact, a lot of people want to politicize this killing; some so that the chances of it happening again are decreased, others in opposition to any changes whatsoever, such that the chances of it happening again are enhanced.
The same could be said of drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan or the bombing of hospitals in Syria.
Skittles
(153,174 posts)Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)Seems a pretty shitty thing to do. Sure this is an example of why guns in the home lead to a lot of accidents, but don't be a douche about it (the "thoughts and prayers" line is why it seems like you are gloating).
SoCalMusicLover
(3,194 posts)But these stories are a daily occurrence, not even difficult to come across one without trying.
The "thoughts & prayers" line is just the standard BS used by those who would say a gun did not cause this.....or it's too soon to bring up guns.....or why bring up guns, I should be more caring about the victim.
If anything I'm just pointing out the stupidity of "thoughts and prayers." They're meaningless. And a teenage kid is dead. Perhaps if there were "thoughts" other than I MUST SHOOT NOW, the father would have thought before pulling the trigger......accidentally of course.
wheniwasincongress
(1,307 posts)all these "I thought X was an intruder" deaths and injuries happen without the shooter apparently waiting to see if it is indeed an intruder. Do they hear noises and shoot in that direction without looking to see who or what is causing the noise?
Egnever
(21,506 posts)They buy the gun in the first place because they are afraid and when they hear noises that fear is confirmed and they react without thinking.
When you are in control of a killing device you should not be afraid you should be calm and rational. If people drove their cars terrified there would be a lot more accidents as well.
That is one of the biggest problems with guns IMHO too often when they are pulled out people are hopped up on adrenaline and not thinking clearly.
The decision to use deadly force should be one that is made with a cool head. Something that hardly if ever happens with guns.
raccoon
(31,115 posts)
ileus
(15,396 posts)This is my argument for a rail mounted light on your HD pistol.
Sure it's breaking one of the big 4 rules with firearms, but it's better to cover someone with the muzzle and ID them than poke a hole in someone then ID them.
Safety first, dying later...
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)actually come up with a realistic solution here, this is just another one of the thirty or so gun deaths each day. So big yawn. Those who defend gun ownership like to wail and gnash their teeth and wring their hands, but the truth is this is just what happens, and pretending to be sad over this is hypocritical.
I am sorry as hell the kid is dead. But I am not even remotely sorry for the dad. I hope he actually gets convicted of what ever the appropriate degree of murder or manslaughter this is, and has to spend real time in jail. I hope he suffers every single day of the rest of his miserable life.
Maybe, just maybe, he will understand from this that having guns in the home is not such a terrific idea, and maybe he will go out and preach against them.
Jerry442
(1,265 posts)...and blasts down a residential street at 70. His grief and remorse is pretty useless after he runs over somebody.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)guns, you're wrong.
Guns are designed to kill. Nothing else.
Cars, while they do kill, rarely kill in large numbers, and more importantly, that is NOT their primary function.
Jerry442
(1,265 posts)...our hypothetical drunk speeding down a residential street isn't just careless, he's showing depraved indifference to life, not unlike someone who's pointing a lethal weapon at some unknown person in the dark with his finger already tightening on the trigger. As some of the other posters said, this guy was set up to kill someone. He just killed the wrong someone.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)appropriately. As should all those people who "accidently" shoot their spouse or child in the dark, or those who carelessly leave loaded guns where children find them. I don't know if I've ever heard of any such gun owner actually serving jail time. They should.
Bettie
(16,118 posts)He chose to kill.
Yeah, he may be sorry that the person he chose to kill was his son, but he still made a choice to fire at someone he had not identified.
He is guilty of murder.
lostnfound
(16,189 posts)MillennialDem
(2,367 posts)Logical
(22,457 posts)Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)Arrest him. Put him in jail. I am tired of the bullshit argument that his grief means he should not be charged. He is as culpable as anyone who beats a child to death.
Separation
(1,975 posts)Wasn't an accident at all. The gun worked as advertised. You pull the trigger and if a bullet is in the chamber it will come out. So no, not an accident. I'm tired of these shootings being reported as "accidents". They need to be called what they are, total incompetence and negligence by whoever pulled the trigger.
libodem
(19,288 posts)I very much appreciate our fine hosting volunteers for keeping this open for exposure. Its an extremely important issue clarifying the good guy with a gun fallacy.
Hats off to you wondrous people.
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)libodem
(19,288 posts)More like win, lose or draw. Lots of ties. I think they are very fair. Gun control is a pet issue for me. I don't like stuff relegated straight to the gungeon for being too local or not a major story, but that is my personal preference.
The hosts do a marvelous job. I lack a lot of capacity to help, when I have served, so I rarely weighted in. Most take the job very seriously and I admire their dedication very much.
