Lax firearm control results in 11 year old killed

[Loronzo]

http://www.guns.com/2014/05/07/boy-fatally-shot-by-uncle-showing-off-laser-sight-video/

This is extremely sad. My heart goes out to the family of the 11 year old. A simple mistake by his uncle lead to him being shot in the head. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. I'm sharing this in the hopes that we all are just a little more cautious moving forward and remember to clear every gun, every time. Even when putting it into or out of your safe. And never point it at anything you aren't willing to shoot, ever.

[BarryLee]

Sometimes we hear related stories and even though someone violated the basics of handgun safety you can sort of visualize how it might happen. However, for the life of me I cannot imagine ever pointing a gun at another person and intentionally pulling the trigger regardless of the state of that gun.

[Theohazard]

From the article:

Olm told police that he let the boys hold the firearms and in the case of the .357, even allowed them to pull the trigger. Olm, who claimed he never kept his firearms loaded, was confident the guns were empty.

When it came time to presenting the Glock 27, Olm pointed the laser on the ceiling and the wall.

He then pointed the laser dot at his nephew’s head. It was at this point that one of the boys said, “Look, you have a red dot on your forehead.”

Olm pulled the trigger, firing the fatal shot that struck Pedersen above the eye.

Olm told police that there wasn’t a magazine in the handgun when he showed it to the boys. He also admitted that he did not work the action to check it or clear it to ensure there wasn’t a round in the chamber.
This is possibly the single worst case of firearm negligence I've ever heard of. Of course, I'm sure many people are going to blame the gun for this, but this guy picked up a gun without checking to see if it was clear, then he pointed the gun at a child's head and pull the trigger. In my opinion, this should be treated just like a murder: This guy has no place in society.


A simple mistake by his uncle lead to him being shot in the head. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time.
No. This was NOT a "simple mistake". Everyone DOES NOT make mistakes like this "from time to time". C'mon, he picked up a gun, never checked it, then pointed it at a child's head and pulled the trigger.

If anyone thinks this is a mistake that they could possibly make, then they have no business owning firearms. Or driving cars. Or raising children. Or anything else that requires even a tiny amount of responsibility.

[JD0x0]

That wasn't a mistake anyone could make.

That is a mistake an idiot would make.


Even when I KNOW that my rifle isn't loaded, I will always open the bolt and visually check the chamber, before I intend to dry fire it. And I would never point it at anyone, regardless, of the weapon's condition.

Not only was this guy irresponsible but he was a terrible role model for the kids he was showing the guns to even if he didn't happen to shoot the child. You shouldn't point lasers at peoples heads, and aim guns at each other, especially in front of children, because they will learn it's okay to muzzle sweep people. If this guy was responsible he would've checked the chamber while teaching the children, and he would've discovered why you ALWAYS treat the gun as if it's loaded, when that chambered round popped out.

[Loronzo]

I am in agreement, at first I was solely thinking about the clearing aspect however I would never ever think about pointing a gun at anybody. He deserves whatever punishment he gets. That is beyond negligence... I'm sure he feels horrible about it but once that bullet leaves the chamber you can never take it back although I bet he wishes he could. So from a tactics and training standpoint I believe we should use this as a reinforcer to always follow ALL gun safety rules always.

I think I may have missed what I was trying to say in the original post, my apologies. The guy was a complete dummy. I was trying to say that most accidents happen from a series of minor mistakes but what he did, point a firearm and pull the trigger is not a minor mistake. It's hard for me to post or talk about topics like this, I have lost a friend over a firearm accident related to him drinking and trying to show a pistol was "safe"

Growing up I wasn't allowed cap guns or even water guns but I had a .22 rifle and at the time I was super mad at my father but the older I get the more I respect my father and will do the same with my children. I have an opportunity to teach a volunteer firearms safety class to a group of JROTC students from several schools next week. This story, although graphic, I'm considering including in my presentation.

[Deja vu]

every time you pick up a gun you check if the magazine / Chamber / Cylinder is loaded. Even then you don't point the gun at any thing you don't want to destroy.

Of course you guys already knew that....

[Mike1234]

Sadly, some people really are that stupid. This is a clear case of negligent homicide but I'll be he's offered a plea bargain of manslaughter.

[Oruglock]

What a tragedy for all concerned. I suspect the uninjured boy is going to be psychologically affected by this for years, maybe all his life.

The uncle should have been using the opportunity to demonstrate gun safety, instead of just showing off.

99.99% of gun owners are sensible, responsible people, but there's always one like this who makes every gun owner look bad in the eyes of the gun control enthusiasts.

[TailGator]

When I teach people the Four Rules, I emphasize that they are so redundant that one has to break more than one in order to have an accident. In this incident one can make a case that he broke all four in a complete failure of the most basic safety precautions, as well as abandoned plain common sense. This isn't about clearing a weapon properly. There is just no way that this sort of thing can happen if gun owners act with even a modicum of responsibility.

[Theohazard]

This isn't about clearing a weapon properly.
Exactly. If someone is willing to point a gun at a child's head and pull the trigger -- regardless of whether he cleared the gun or not -- he's already criminally negligent in my opinion. Unfortunately, now he's criminally negligent AND he killed a child.

[Brian Pfleuger]

It's terribly tragic that an entire family will now suffer for the rest of their lives to pay for his stupidity. The guy who pulled the trigger, I have no sympathy. He deserves to spend the rest of his life (and beyond) suffering for what he's done. It's just unfortunate that so many others are forced to suffer because of him.

[markj]

He then pointed the laser dot at his nephew’s head. It was at this point that one of the boys said, “Look, you have a red dot on your forehead.”

Olm pulled the trigger, firing the fatal shot that struck Pedersen above the eye.


We do not do this in my house. Never point any gun at anything you do not wish dead, period.

Why? cause every gun is loaded.

[dakota.potts]

Everyone's accidentally found out there was a round in a chamber there shouldn't have been? Sure, I'll say most have done it. A few here have even found that out after pulling the trigger.

Have most of us swept somebody before? Sure. It might happen sometimes, although it better be fixed immediately.

Accidentally breaking the 180 rule at the range is an honest mistake. Pulling out a gun, assuming it's unloaded (why couldn't he have done a safety check?) pointing it at a child's head intentionally and pulling the trigger, also intentionally? Not seeing a "simple mistake" in there.

[Frank Ettin]

I don't see much point to a thread in which every post is just some variation on "the guy made an inexcusable error of judgment." And I also don't see that there's much else to say about the incident.

If anyone thinks of something substantive to bring up in connection with this, send me a PM; and I'll consider re-opening the thread.