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Old December 8, 2009, 08:20 AM   #1
DRice.72
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If anyone needed a reminder on gun saftey in the home

Quote:
RIALTO, Calif. — Police say a 3-year-old Southern California boy is hospitalized in critical condition after shooting himself in the face with a handgun.

Rialto police Sgt. Richard Royce says the boy apparently shot himself with the .22 caliber gun while his 41-year-old grandmother was caring for him.

Royce says the woman is the boy's legal guardian.

Royce says investigators are trying to determine how the boy got hold of the gun but he said the shooting was an accident.

He says the bullet entered the boy's nasal cavity and the child underwent about an hour of surgery after he was taken to a hospital.

Police would not immediately say whether any arrests or criminal charges were planned.

Rialto is a city of nearly 100,000 people in San Bernardino County.
This family was VERY lucky. Most are not.
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Old December 8, 2009, 08:52 AM   #2
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Awful thing to happen. With all the education available and publicity going out, it still amazes me that an adult would leave a loaded gun when there is a small child in the house. This is an inexcusable event.

In all likelihood, both the child and grandparent will be paying the mental anguish of this event for years to come.

If you have a gun and a child in the same house, the gun must be securely locked or put in a safe. The gun must be empty and the ammo put in another area, well away from the same room as the gun. It does not seem like a difficult task. It prevents tragedy of this nature.
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Old December 8, 2009, 09:49 AM   #3
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I had a co-worker at one time I hung out with. He had a couple of pistols. He was extremely careless with them. He would wave them around, they were out in the open loaded all the time. He had two young boys he had won custody of from the mother. Both the boys had been sexually abused by her and her bf. He was taking them to school one day. One of the boys got his loaded 9mm from the floor board, he would just lay it there as he drove. It had slid to the floorboard at the back seat. The older child got and was playing with it. He ended up shooting his younger brother in the head, killing him. It was a terrible tragedy that should have never happened. I told him time and again to get a safe, to not keep them loaded. It got to the point I wouldn't go to his house or ride anywhere with him for fear of my own safety. So sad, especially since these things are so easily avoided.
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Old December 8, 2009, 11:11 AM   #4
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Quote:
So sad, especially since these things are so easily avoided.
So is this guy in jail now ? Is the surviving kid being cared for by someone responsible, or is he doomed like his sibling ?

As we have heard time and time again, in some far away place to total strangers.....far too little, far too late.
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Old December 8, 2009, 11:22 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyzon
So is this guy in jail now ? Is the surviving kid being cared for by someone responsible, or is he doomed like his sibling ?
I'm a little confused by that, Pyzon. Who is "this guy"? The only people mentioned are a 3yr old and a 41yr old grandmother.... no siblings, no man.




None of the facts in that article imply good things about the current or historical decision making wisdom of this family. Having a loaded gun where the child could reach it is likely the latest in a long list of less than poor decisions.
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Old December 8, 2009, 11:27 AM   #6
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sorry peetza, my second post was another story about someone I knew personally. The father in that story did end up serving jail time. The remaining child was placed into foster care.
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Old December 8, 2009, 11:30 AM   #7
Brian Pfleuger
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Quote:
sorry peetza, my second post was another story about someone I knew personally.
Geez. I read that too. For some reason it didn't even occur to me that he would be referencing that instead of the OP. DOH!
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Old December 8, 2009, 03:50 PM   #8
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Sorry for the confusion, meant to reference to whom I was referring.

You got my intentions right just the same.
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Old December 8, 2009, 04:26 PM   #9
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Quote:
With all the education available and publicity going out, it still amazes me that an adult would leave a loaded gun when there is a small child in the house.
these are typically the people you see that shouldn't be reproducing. Idiots are everywhere.
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Old December 8, 2009, 06:14 PM   #10
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Anybody else notice this happened in California? Isn't that the state with all the laws that make guns safer? Like the locks on handguns?

Sorry for the kid and his family. If kids are around and I'm not carrying it on me at home the pistol goes into the biometric gunvault. Safety is no accident
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Old December 9, 2009, 03:04 AM   #11
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Quote:
Anybody else notice this happened in California? Isn't that the state with all the laws that make guns safer? Like the locks on handguns?

Sorry for the kid and his family. If kids are around and I'm not carrying it on me at home the pistol goes into the biometric gunvault. Safety is no accident
There's nothing unsafe about carrying it on you in your home or anywhere else. Just make sure the kids can't get it no matter where it is.

Very sad stories.
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Old December 9, 2009, 07:14 AM   #12
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Yeah, you weapon should AWAYS be in your control. On your person, or in a safe. Both places your in control.
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Old December 9, 2009, 08:51 AM   #13
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Very sad. I didn't have a safe when my kids were 3. Loaded guns in the house and never a tragedy. By age 3 my kids could already recite the 4 gun rules of safety, tho I still didn't trust them at this age. Point being is that if you care enough and leave nothing to chance...these incidents can be avoided.
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Old December 9, 2009, 11:50 AM   #14
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Education... the best you can do for your kids. I, myself, have an eight yo daughter. although my guns are always locked in safe, unless they are on my person, my daughter gets educated on them and the safety of them. She knows not to touch them without my permission. She KNOWS if she is over at a friends, and there is a gun, to get away and tell a parent. Then call me so I can go kick some a$$ (kidding!).

I have an airsoft pistol that we shoot in the basement. Next summer, I plan on taking her to the range and try a 22lr for the first time. I'm going to buy those CB's (?), the ones that are excelerated my primer only. I'm sure she'll have fun!

It's always a tragedy when you hear something like this happening to a child. Most of the time, its just the plain neglegence of the parent or adult. If you have guns in the home, or relatives/friends that do... I think the best thing you can do is educate your child on the safety of firearms.....
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Old December 9, 2009, 02:59 PM   #15
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GOJUBRIan

You must have misunderstood me. I meant to say if it aint on me, then its in a fast access safe if kids are around
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Old December 9, 2009, 03:21 PM   #16
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There are very few things that when I hear, I actually get nauseous. Stories like this are on that list. It is a real tragedy and every time I hear of one, I want to re-double my efforts to ensure all my gun related belongings are secure.
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Old December 9, 2009, 04:27 PM   #17
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I read the above and went right out and bought some trigger locks to use when the grandkids are around. They're still pretty small but it won't be long til they're big enough to get into things. I've been putting my handguns in my little safe when I know the younguns are coming over, but my shotgun, which won't fit in my safe (I keep seven in the tube but none chambered) is hung up high in my bedroom closet. I know my grandsons will figure out a way to get to it. Anyway, this thread was a good reminder that we all need to be REALLY safe with our firearms, especially when kids are around.
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Old December 9, 2009, 04:35 PM   #18
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if there are kids in the area around me, even if I am carrying, i put the safety on just in case. if i am at home i will just carry it to make sure i know where it is.
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Old December 9, 2009, 04:50 PM   #19
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Education and common sense are essential. It's sad when things like this happen. The family is very fortunate that the child survived. Many families aren't so lucky.
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Old January 9, 2010, 11:26 PM   #20
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We all need a little reminder every now and then. My Daily carry weapon is the only one that's not stored in my safe. It's normally on my bedside table or on my person. I don't have young kids at home but we have several garndkids that visit often. They all know that "Papa" has a gun and that he carries it all the time. Whenever they are in the house, I engage the lock (another reason why I love my Rossi ) and it is placed in the top of my closet out of everybody's reach. One key is on my keyring, which is always on my person and the spare is also locked in the safe. They also know that our bedroom is of limits unless my wife or myself are with them. All of my other guns are locked in the safe. There will be no accidents in this house, at least not with any firearms. Now, kids falling down the stairs.....
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Old January 11, 2010, 07:51 PM   #21
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Criminal Storage of a Firearm in California

Quote:
"Criminal storage of firearm of the first degree” – Keeping any loaded firearm within any premises that are under your custody or control and you know or reasonably should know that a child (any person under 18) is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian and the child obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes death or great bodily injury to himself, herself, or any other person [PC section 12035 (b), (1)].

“Criminal storage of firearm of the second degree” – Keeping any loaded firearm within any premises that are under your custody or control and you know or reasonably should know that a child (any person under 18) is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian and the child obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes injury, other than great bodily injury, to himself, herself, or any other person, or carries the firearm either to a public place or in violation of Section 417 [PC section 12035 (b), (2)].

Neither of the criminal storage offenses (first degree, second degree) shall apply whenever the firearm is kept in a locked container or locked with a locking device that has rendered the firearm inoperable [PC section 12035 (c), (2), (4)].
This is on the test to get a Handgun Safety Certificate in California. The full document is at http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/forms/pdf/hscsg.pdf and should be studied by all Californians before taking your handgun safety certificate test. The certificate is required to buy a handgun (only one handgun can be purchased per month).

So, someone in the OP is guilty of criminal storage of a firearm in the first degree and will lose their right to own a gun. They will also spend at least a year in jail. The only hope is the getting off because they did not "know or reasonably should know that a child ..."

Also, for the empty/loaded chamber argument, this applies in California:

Quote:
It is illegal to carry a loaded firearm on one’s person or in a vehicle while in any
public place, on any public street, or in any place where it is unlawful to discharge
a firearm [PC section 12031 (a)].
I guess this pretty much makes CCW a moot point.

Last edited by WW2; January 11, 2010 at 09:03 PM. Reason: Additional Information regarding Loaded Weapons for CCW
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