Posted on 12/05/2008 7:40:24 PM PST by atomic conspiracy
BECKLEY A 3-year-old Raleigh County boy was fatally shot by his father as the two were playing a game that involved a shotgun, police said.
Gary Wayne Garretson, 44, of Coal City is being held at Southern Regional Jail on charges of death of a child by parent by child abuse. His bond was set at $500,000.
Raleigh County Deputies were called to Garretson's Coal City Road home Saturday afternoon where they found the toddler, identified as Anthony Garretson, already dead, according to a complaint filed in Raleigh County Magistrate Court.
The boy had been shot in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun, according to the complaint.
Gary Garretson told deputies that he did not know the shotgun was loaded when he pointed it in his son's direction and pulled the trigger, the complaint said.
Garretson told police "he had done this in the past as a bit of a game with his son, saying that he was going to get him," the complaint said.
The toddler would respond, "You can't get me, daddy," according to the complaint.
Officials from the Raleigh County Sheriff's Department have not released any other details.
Deputies said no one else was in the home when the shooting occurred.
Garretson does not have an attorney listed, according to the county magistrate's office.
Dreadful. RIP.
Call me heartless, but me neither.
One should never “play” a “game” with any gun. Sad, tragic and on top of it all, senseless.
Why is it that many, many killers have the middle name of Wayne?
Wonder if he “got Mommy” too. Really what kind of a person would play a “game” with a three year old like that? I guess pulling the trigger is all part of the “game.”
Look at the picture of that precious child in post 10......
Very sad....the Dad is an idiot....
Mandatory sterilization.
And get somebody else to check your checking. And then treat it as if it’s loaded, unless it’s in pieces on your cleaning table. There are no “take-backs” when lead leaves the barrel.
I wonder that, too.
Also, I wonder if victims have a middle name that keeps coming up. Many times they don’t even give the middle name of the victims.
Treat every firearm as though it were loaded. It’s the most important habit for preventing accidents.
So what kind of creature would fail to grasp that knowledge about human habits—the same kind who would snort a little meth, tailgate other drivers and prefer pit bulls as pets?
I say shoot him in the face with a 12 gauge.
Garretson told police "he had done this in the past as a bit of a game with his son, saying that he was going to get him," the complaint said.
Those two sentences right there are just off the scale insane. This man is the worst excuse for a father, and he needs to have the book thrown at him!
“The toddler would respond, “You can’t get me, daddy,” according to the complaint. “
:( sums up my thoughts.
I wonder how he’ll live with the guilt.
“According to DBPK, the little boy’s mother, Darlene Garretson, had died just four months ago.”
If that’s true, it makes me wonder if dad was depressed and too overwhelmed to deal with an active toddler.
How very very sad.
Every gun I own has a round in the chamber. I know they are loaded.
Cripes.
So horric ..I can’t imagine that kind of pain.
I got into a habit years ago.I teach all youngsters this....because I owe it to them.Dad taught me and much more...like walking w/your friends and how to carry your gun and being always conscious of which way you point the barrel.
I check mine when I pick it up...check it when I put it in the truck....when I take it out of the truck...before I put it up.I works for me.
“Even if you are SURE the gun is not loaded, CHECK AGAIN.”
Exactly what daddy taught me.
Even when I have a known unloaded gun, I still don’t point it at someone and pull the trigger. This breaks every rule in the book.
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