Posted on 12/06/2005 5:31:58 AM PST by bikepacker67
WARE, Mass. (AP) - The father of a 10-year-old killed in a hunting accident said the boy was shot as the two descended a hill and the elder man slipped. The shotgun he was carrying went off, striking the boy in the back.
"I was sliding," Raymond F. Libby Jr., of Ware, told The Republican newspaper on Sunday, a day after his son died during a father-and-son outing.
"That's when the gun went off. It hit some branches. I didn't have my hand on the trigger ... I jumped up quick and I ran to him before he collapsed."
Libby asked his son, Raymond F. Libby III, if he was hit, and his answer "yes" would be the last word the father would hear him say.
He said he carried the boy at least 200 yards to the area where their truck was parked, where another hunter who heard the shot was emerging from the woods in the town of Hampden, south of Springfield. That man used his cell phone to call for help.
Hampden police, who received a 911 call at 9:30 a.m., said the fourth-grader was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center.
"He was my hunting and fishing buddy," the father said. "I mean, he always waits for me after work."
Police were investigating, but said it appeared to be an accident.
The father said the safety on his shotgun was on as he and his son, who carried a BB gun, went down the hill. The elder Libby said the boy always walked behind him, but had gotten ahead when the father slipped and fell.
Libby and his wife also have a 12-year-old daughter, Amber.
I'm afraid of taking my son hunting because of other hunters, not myself or my son.
It's hard 'trusting' others with loaded weapons when you have other options.
My grandmother said it when my uncle died "Parents are not suppose to out live their children.".
Natural causes and/or childhood illness is one thing, an accident such as this would seem to me to be even harder to take. If I were in this guys shoes, they'd probably have to put me on suicide watch not because I would but because that would be my attitude.
You must have some nasty-ass ducks up where you hunt. 90 mph?
Read up-thread. My father's shotgun got knocked off safe when he fell, likely from a branch hitting it. That same branch could have hit the trigger. I don't blame Remington (it was his trusty 1100), and I like their cross-bolt safety design, but I recognize that it's very possible this man had the safety engaged, but the firearm still discharged.
He'll have the rest of his life in prison to think about it.
That may be what you do, but it has nothing to do with avoiding unintended spurious and stray discharges.
The dad was monumentally careless. It's right to point that out. It was his primary responsibility to make sure that gun was under control at all times. He failed to do that.
"My first thought is how unsurvivably and completely devastating it would be."
You're right, that should have been his first thought. That thought should have motivated him to be careful, before he even picked up the gun.
"An almost pathological fear that some inattention, forgetfulness, distractedness, or simple butt-stupid mistake of mine would bring harm to any family member."
You evaluate before you act. You evaluate by assuming all that could happen would, then clear the area of anyone that could be harmed.
In this case the guy should have kept his kid to the side, or behind, carried the gun low, pointed forward, hands on action, paralell to the ground and kept it that way.
Attributing this to accident, in public, does no one any good. It's a real life example to be used to show that careless acts do indeed lead to monumental tragedy.
If I were to take my daughter with me (she is presently too young) my thoughs would be towards safety and correct conduct, rather than the actual taking of the game. It is that way currently, when i do go out, singly or with freinds.
That said, this situation could, and was most likely a tragic accident, whereby the dad slipped and the safety was brushed off, as well as the trigger engagement. Having a round in the chamber while going down the slope may have been the only oversight, which he will pay dearly for the rest of his natural born days.
The gun's always loaded and ready to fire. That's the rule. consideration of that rule means you point the gun where it will cause no significant harm when it goes off by itself and you keep it that way. The dad failed at that. His kid was in front of him, right were the barrel was pointed.
How dare any of you say he was a bad father. People make mistakes, were only human. He is going to have to live with this for the rest of his life. They were hunting deer. He had permission to be in those woods(signed & stamped documents). They spotted a deer, he loaded the gun and he took the safety off. He couldn't get a clear shot so he started down the hill with little Ray behind him. In that split second he didn't think about the safety being off. They both slipped on the icy hill. Little Ray being so lite rolled in front of big Ray. The gun hit branches on a tree. He got shot in the chest, not the back. Little Ray did not have a bb gun with him. That is a lie. Reporters twist everything. Anytime you asked little Ray what his favorite thing to do was, "fishing and hunting with daddy." It could happen to anyone. Anyone who has something mean to say why don't you keep it to yourself....................................
How absolutely awful for this father! My heart goes out to him.
Crossing fences, navigating steep terrain always called for unloading in my book.
Tragic accident. Prayers to the family.
----What a terrible tragedy to have happened. I am sure the father is beside himself. How sad.
How incredibly sad- I don't know how people can even get over something like this.
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