I had a 20 gauge shotgun at that age, was hunting with the men by the time I was 12.
Never owned a pistol until I was in my 30’s.
But I never shot anyone.
Yes, the parents should have known better.
Kid’s today and video games? Sense of reality is totally blasted away. I see them every day zoned totally out.
Times sure have changed. I had my first pistol at 9 still own it a heritage 22LR with the 22 mag alternative cylinder. Got it for my birthday. Dad kept it when I wasn’t on our land or kritter hunting in the safe in his closet. I got my first shotgun a Rossi 410 that Christmas. By the time I was 12 I had a Rem 700 in 243 and a 870 in 20 ga still own every one of them. I grew up rural it was not uncommon for teen boys at 13 or 14 to go to the woods with shotguns and 22 pistols to kritterget. Now a days if someone saw a group of kids with long arms and pistols in their belts the would send a swat team in.