PD: 4-year-old accidentally shoots, kills father

[onehandle]

Source: CBS

Prescott Valley police say a 4-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his father while they were at a friend's house.

Prescott Valley police said the father and son drove up for an unannounced visit to a friend's house Friday. Police said within minutes of being inside the home, the 4-year-old boy found a gun, asked what it was and it discharged, hitting his dad.

The man in his 30s was taken to a Prescott-area hospital in extremely critical condition, where he died from his injuries.

No other details were immediately available.

Read more: http://www.kpho.com/story/22535135/pd-4-year-old-shoots-kills-father-in-prescott-valley

[BainsBane]

1. and the NRA opposes laws requiring safe storage of guns

[DCKit]

2. Are we going to count that as a loss? nt

[greiner3]

27. "2. Are we going to count that as a loss? nt"

Do you mean the father died or the boy as a future NRA member?

[NYtoBush-Drop Dead]

40. stupid is as stupid does.

Hope daddy was NRA.

[Crunchy Frog]

57. Hope so too. Doesn't alter the damage done to the son.

But maybe the son will not end up an NRA type.

[valerief]

50. +1

[DCKit]

52. I'm one of five kids in the family. three are gun-nuts.

Our youngest died seven years ago, another is just waiting.

Oh, and he was shot in the head ten years ago, it just took almost four more years to finish him off.

Yeah, I'm a huge fan of the gun nuts.

[wordpix]

3. father & son make unannounced visit to friend, son picks up loaded gun & shoots dad - story smells

First off, the friend who keeps loaded guns around didn't notice the boy moving toward the gun? A normal person would have removed the gun or at least unloaded it before the boy came into the home.

And who said the boy shot the dad? The "friend?" Story does not say.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. It's not so weird.

I may have been four or six when I ran ahead of my aunt and uncle after getting back from a ride into town. They lived out in the boonies so my uncle had guns, and usually tried to hide them. My younger brother was very clever and knew where to find them. But, when I was six or four, I ran ahead of them and found one of his pistols lying on the table. I picked it up and pointed it at them and said, "Bang, bang."

Here's the weird part. There was a shitstorm of screaming, and as a kid I still didn't connect it was a real gun.

[mwb970]

18. "the friend who keeps loaded guns around didn't notice the boy moving toward the gun?"

You don't have children, do you?

[wordpix]

19. actually, I do have children and I always watched closely when we visited someone

That's what a good parent does b/c while my home was childproofed, their homes may not be

[MH1]

25. What else could a child pick up and that quickly and unknowingly kill someone else with,

other than a gun?

[iamthebandfanman]

33. yes,

because stabbing or bludgeoning someone to a bloody death with a knife or other blunt object would be perceived way easier and more ignorantly innocent to a child than simply moving your finger on something they make toys of... I mean, right?!


We get it gun nuts.. people can die lots of ways...

still doesn't change the fact that guns are the easiest and quickest way to kill.

that was their only designed purpose. ONLY. kill.

[timdog44]

22. And the point is not having or not having children

The point is having loaded guns laying around for "ANYONE" to get their hands on. Think about it.

[Crunchy Frog]

58. And gun nuts are supposed to be "normal" people?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

61. Apparently you haven't been paying attention

Gun nuts are now just leaving their junk anywhere they are so goddamn proud of them I guess.

[WeekendWarrior]

5. That poor, poor boy.

This is tragic.

[SunSeeker]

8. Yes, the child suffer because of this for the rest of his life. nt

[avebury]

20. Too bad that the Dad had to be the one

who was killed. It should have been the gun owner. There are two victims here, the son and his Dad. The negligent gun owner will walk away with no punishment.

[Crunchy Frog]

59. Not sure about the dad.

He may have known very well what sort of situation he was walking into, and just not seen it as a threat. Gun nuts have a tendency to discount how risky guns are, at least from what I've seen here on DU.

The son is the real victim here.

[kestrel91316]

6. A good guy with a gun surely could have stopped the kid.

[AAO]

49. The boy was the "good man", but he didn't know what he had in his hand. Very sad.

[kestrel91316]

60. Well I'm sure the kid is to blame for ignoring all the lessons on gun safety

his parents obviously gave him.

[SCVDem]

7. How's that home security working out for ya?

Oh yeah, your NRA dues are due!

[otohara]

9. Responsible Gun Owners My Ass

just buying one makes you irresponsible - there is no justification for owning guns when this many people get murdered every damn day. Oh excuse me, it's another terrible horrible accident, because some asshole bought a gun thinking it was a good thing.

[tblue]

34. Yep. Giving one dime to the industry,

whether by purchasing that garbage or by paying NRA dues, endangers all of us, especially children. This poor kid will live with that horrible memory all of his life.

[hack89]

37. Does the same apply to alchohol?

it has no purpose other than to intoxicate, it is addictive, causes immeasurable pain and suffering .

Am I complicit in the deaths of innocents if I buy wine or a 6 pack of beer?

[IveWornAHundredPants]

38. Why not wait for a thread about an alcohol-related death

for that question. This one is about a four year old who found a gun and shot his father.

[hack89]

43. We are talking about responsible use of potentially dangerous things

and banning them because they cause hurt people.

There is a lot of hypocrisy on the gun control side - I wanted to see where that particular poster stood.

[IveWornAHundredPants]

47. You just inflate the discussion with your hot air

until the circumference touches something you feel you can score a point with. It's unbecoming, and for the sake of your own self-respect you ought to stop it.

[hack89]

48. ok. nt

[Chemisse]

53. This makes a good point.

There are plenty of people who own guns who are careful with them and nobody gets hurt, just as with alcohol.

Indicting all gun owners as irresponsible just for owning a gun is ridiculous.

That is exactly the sentiment that keeps NRA members sticking around for more, thinking 'they want to take away all our guns'.

I've never owned a gun, but I certainly feel people have that right, as long as they are sane, non-criminals, have complete control over their impulses, and keep the damned things away from children.

Just as I think people have a right to drink, even though a lot of people are hurt by alcohol.

[sdrake]

63. agree

those people forced me to join the NRA, and i fucking hate the NRA.

[hrmjustin]

65. Welcome to DU my friend!

[tofuandbeer]

10. Chripes! Didn't something like this just happen last month?

[eridani]

11. I think someone has actually done the math to prove that in America--

--you are more likely to be killed by a toddler than by a terrorist.

[Iliyah]

12. And thats funny

NRA and the Kochs and the Commerce and the Roves think think they have won. Nope.

[caseymoz]

13. A lifetime tragedy for the kid. :(

Very sad.

[timdog44]

23. Actualy

my first thought, too. He might not realize what he did until he is older, but what a burden to carry. The actual gun owner should have all his "privileges" of owning a gun taken away and put in prison. Not rights, privileges.

[caseymoz]

28. Yes, that guy caused a lifetime of misery.

As certain as he kidnapped and tortured the child.

[Skittles]

14. my first thought was so sad: better than the other way around

[BeyondGeography]

15. "He keeps a loaded gun for protection. He used to be a military police officer."

Teh logic...

[Kolesar]

29. More likely to be robbed through identity theft in that sleepy town.

But he is too stupid to measure the comparative risks.

One of my activist buddies is retiring to Prescott, Az next month. I wouldn't move to that state because of the government and the drug laws. Skiing at Breckenridge would be my thing.

[BeyondGeography]

30. I have always enjoyed northern AZ

Flagstaff feels downright progressive to me in spots and the area is beautiful. But I know I'd always feel hopelessly outgunned (no pun intended) which would be hard to take after a lifetime in comparatively liberal/rational New York so I stay put...

[snort]

32. If you're going to live in AZ

Prescott is a very good choice. Flagstaff or Bisbee would be a good choice as well. The rest, meh.

[AAO]

51. Such a big man. Oh, you say he's only -6 ft tall?

[DCKit]

16. My youngest sibling died six years ago.

A gun nut, shot in the head by some random crack dealer.

He lived for five years after, half his head and his eye blown out, but his death was inevitable.

Still have two gun nut sisters, so I guess it's not a total loss. Pity we don't talk.

Mom would be so proud.

[RVN VET]

17. Ah but who gears about this sadly repetitive news?

The sniveling media doesn't talk about it for fear of seeming biased against gun owners. But if the news media everywhere in America reported this ugly mess every time it happened and did a weekly round-up to reiterate it, the public and the whores in Congress might finally get the message about the need for gun control.

It's not an isolated story. It should never ever be treated as an isolated story. It should never ever be allowed to slip down the memory hole of the public.

Not holding my breath. Jody Arias and Ariel Castro will take headlines and chew up broadcast time. Dead children and children who kill their siblings and parents accidentally -- or deliberately -- merit a 2 minute story locally and then, phhhht!, gone from the media and the public (and Congressional) consciousness).

[timdog44]

24. I guess this

is not "sensational" enough for the main $tream media to put in front of the dumbed down population.

[maddiemom]

42. An actual nationally reported list of such shootings would be a wonderful idea on a weekly basis.

For too long these incidents have been confined to local news unless circumstances were bizarre or it was a slow news day. I knew a young man who actually shot and killed a relative while at an age generally considered "old enough to hunt." He was a really nice kid and very much haunted by this "incident." I've lost track, but hope he is as OK as possible today. BTW, I am not anti-gun, just anti- careless gun owners. I used to shoot handguns years ago,while married to a man who was an enthusiast at the time. I was never into hunting animals, so never learned to shoot rifles. Shotguns? Pretty limited reasons these days.

[mnhtnbb]

21. I know a gun nut--and her hubby--who lives in Prescott Valley. Her son--and grandkids--

live in Phoenix. I had to run over to fb to check names on her friends list to make sure this
wasn't the family.

She talks about going to gun shows all the time. Goes out 'shooting' in the desert for fun.
I don't get these people. Just don't get them.

[snort]

31. Unfortunately,

I'm going to have to check and see if this was somebody I know as well. Small World.

[mnhtnbb]

45. Yikes!

[ileus]

26. If it's not on your person lock it up....

A self defense firearm becomes a danger to yourself and others if it's not on your person or out of arms length.

9.8 out of 10 AD/NDs can be cured with proper holsters and the arms length rule.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

35. It's Arizona. Expect a 2nd degree murder charge against the four year old.

More gun mistakes. Where are you Gundamentalists now?

[randr]

36. Not an accident!

It is a crime for a child to get their hands on a weapon.
These horrific acts will continue until we are able to stop calling them accidents.

[lindysalsagal]

62. Agreed. Not an accident. Could have easily been prevented. Should have been.

The father didn't accidentally forget to lock it up where a toddler couldn't get it.

The father failed to protect his own family.

How does that kid have any chance at all for a happy life? No Dad, and all that guilt?

The father failed to protect his family. It was no accident. It could have easily been prevented.

[Deep13]

39. The solution here is obviously more guns.

After all, had the father been armed, he could have shot...oh, wait, that would have been horrible too.

Let's see, if the father and son are innocent, what could be the problem? Oh, yeah, a 4-yr.-old found a loaded gun just lying around minutes after coming inside. WTF?!

[jwirr]

41. It seems every other day some child gets a gun owned by a parent and kills someone. At the very

least there should be a law requiring a owner to have a gun safe. If not they are liable for what happens. We are a gun owning family and have a real safe that holds both guns and amunition. NO child is allowed to even see what is inside without an adult supervising them. That said I have seen to close calls in our neighborhood. One a hunter laid his gun on a chair before going out hunting and a 10 year old boy picked it up, aimed it at the door just as his aunt walked in. Fortunately he missed her. The other was when an owner was cleaning his gun inside and shot a whole in the roof. Neither owner had any business with a loaded gun in the house.

[hack89]

44. I can't imagine owning guns without a safe.

I actually have two - I keep my ammo separate from the guns.

[jwirr]

55. Good idea.

[secondvariety]

46. I'm guessing it was

a semi-auto pistol with a round in the chamber and the safety off. Gun owner must be pretty paranoid to leave that laying around.

[Duckhunter935]

54. if it was a Glock

only trigger safety

[secondvariety]

64. Good to know, but

my point is what kind of half-witted, brain dead, syphilitic, paranoid douche bag feels the need to leave a loaded semi-auto pistol with one racked in the chamber (and possibly the hammer cocked) laying around his abode where a four year old can pick it up?

Background checks? Hell, there should be mandatory psychological and IQ tests (and not those the police take).

[Crunchy Frog]

56. People need to use more discretion in visiting the homes of "friends".

I feel horrible for the child, who will likely experience lifelong guilt for something he was not responsible for.