It’s a cruel world. If the kid hadn’t been able to get a gun, he’d have jumped off something high, or off something not-so-high with a rope around his neck, ingested something poisonous, sliced himself open. Or just taken a walk through the wrong ‘hood at night...
You have to feel sorry for this guy. While firearms are a tool that can be used for good or bad, I make every effort to keep mine away from the kids - and they have all been taught to shoot and they know about firearms safety.
The worst story I have heard recently was the young mother who was carrying her pistol in the shopping cart at Walmart in Hayden, Idaho, with a toddler. I read that she had a new concealed carry purse and somehow her toddler accessed it and killed the mother in the store. Tragic beyond words.
I am pro-gun, but at some point I had to admit that maybe it might make sense for a person with toddlers to carry their semi-automatic without one in the pipe if it’s not on their person. Very low crime area and if you have to dig it out of the purse it is unlikely you can draw that quickly to begin with.
That one really shook me up. Does not change my opinion of the 2nd amendment in any way, but you have to ask what did more harm - carrying locked and loaded in a purse or the slim chance you are a crime victim in a very low crime area?
I believe if you are going to carry you have it on your person, but having three young kids I understand how it only takes a second of inattentiveness for them to get into something! Can’t imagine what that family (and the child) will go through for the rest of their lives.
Yes, I understand this story is quite a bit different. I still feel very sorry for the father because clearly he blames himself (and gun ownership) for his sons suicide. There was obviously a problem much larger than the firearm (a tool) with his son. Don’t think a parent ever recovers from something like that!