[Sangria]

I grew up with guns-lots of guns. They did not have to be locked up. My father told me if I handled them they would kill me, and if they didn't, he would kill me for touching them. I respected my Dad, and most of all, I had a great respect for guns and what they would do.

[r9etb]

Sad. Curious kids (i.e., all of them) and loaded guns don't mix, and should never be kept in the same house.

[SteveSenti]

I have a friend who grew up in Detroit that saw this kind of stuff happen every four or five months. It's amazing that it's still happening even 15 years later.

Didn't they pass a law that made the parently legally responsible for negligent homicide if the gun was left out for their infant to play with.

I remember him saying that most of these deaths were due to careless, negligent, and ignorant parents. These are easily preventable, but when you have crack heads having babies... what do you expect.

[The Obstinate Insomniac]

bang

[Joe Hadenuf]

Call the mayor, call the President, contact the United Nations. Lets demand we all get in line and turn in any firearms we may have. (Sarcasm)...

They have a toddler wandering around the bedrooms by itself, playing with loaded guns that are left out? Where TF are the parents? The grand parents? Who are these idiots? Why is the mayor of a major city involved? Jesh!

[El Gato]

Notice how the story implies, but doesn't say since it probably wouldn't be true, that most of the 26 16 year old and unders with gunshot wounds in Detroit were similar to this case, that is "accidents" due to negligence. I'll wager that the majority of them were deliberate acts, and that most of the dead and injured were closer to 16 than to 2. Mostly gang bangers, or victims of gang bangers doing a "drive by". The latter category probably accounts for most of the younger victims as well. This kind of stupidity, that is leaving a loaded , and probably cocked, gun where a toddler can get it, is known to be extremely rare, even in a hotbed of stupidity like Detroit. (Little kids are unlikely to be able to manage a double action trigger pull, or be able to rack the slide on a semi-auto, so keeping a handgun with an empty chamber, the one under the hammer in the case of a revolver, is the best approach if there are little ones about, and not a bad idea even if there are not, since the gun is about as dangerous as a lump of steel in that condition, yet can be readed very quickly for action by an adult.)

[N. Theknow]

A 1-1/2 year old toddler who liked talking with strangers?

The gun dropped out of a "box" or a "laundry basket" hit the floor and discharged?

[Destructor]

"Precious young life taken by gunshot"

What about the lives of young children that are taken by abortions? Are those young lives any less "precious?"

[lavaroise]

Something tells me there is more to this story told by parents to cops to attorneys to the mayor and to the media out of the mouth of an antigunner....

I have a feeling someone wanted that kid dead. Could it be all of the above?

[Chemist_Geek]

Sources: National Rifle Association, American Academy of Pediatrics

The Freep actually published NRA gun safety rules? And credited them properly? Knock me over with a feather...