In this particular case, the mother KNEW that her son was crazy - she had even warned a babysitter years earlier not to turn her back on him. In view of that, having ANY gun out of a safe (except maybe a single handgun with one or two mags, at night, right next to her - to be locked away each morning) was HIGHLY irresponsible. Actually, IMHO, it was criminally irresponsible. She paid the price here, and is likely paying it elsewhere right now.
Of course, people should be permitted to store their own guns however they want. As far as I’m concerned, the primary purpose of privately owned guns is political, rather than bump in the night type protection. So storage in a safe works for me.
It isn't just political. Robberies and home invasions occur every single night of the year, all over the country. I have no problem with having immediate access to one or two firearms - i.e. a pistol with a mag or 2, plus a shottie - but if there are kids or mentally-challenged/disturbed people in residence or visiting, common sense says that you lock away anything that is not directly on your person so that those people have no access. No problem people around? Then have a loaded gun in every room of the house as far as I'm concerned. As for me, I have elementary-aged kids, and they've been to the range and know NEVER to touch any gun without my wife or I present and giving permission, but I still lock away everything except a S&W J-frame that is hidden from them but easy to get to in a hurry if I need it.
>It seems to me tragedy could’ve been averted had the shooter’s mother stored her guns in a safe. I know there are those who don’t like safe storage laws, but it seems to me that if you’re going to have crazy people visiting the house, keeping the guns under lock and key might be a good idea.
In this particular case, the mother KNEW that her son was crazy - she had even warned a babysitter years earlier not to turn her back on him.<
I would argue that in this family’s case, given the “off the charts” IQ of this disturbed, dangerously ill young man, assuming a gun safe could keep him at bay is the height of naivety. And, given the fact that Mrs Lanza paid for whatever mistake she made with her life, I would expect that nothing would have kept young Adam from obtaining these guns.