A responsible, gun owning Kentucky mom stepped outside, leaving her 5-year-old son alone with his new birthday present — a brand new, shiny loaded .22-cal. rifle — and his 2-year-old sister.
Unfortunately, mom was outside just long enough for her son to fatally shoot his sister, Caroline Sparks, with his new present. Kentucky State Police Trooper Billy Gregory says that the shooting has been ruled an accident. “It’s just one of those nightmares,” he said, “a quick thing that happens when you turn your back.” He added that in the area it is not uncommon for parents to give their young children weapons. “In this part of the country, it’s not uncommon for a 5-year-old to have a gun or for a parent to pass one down to their kid,” he said.
The rifle that killed Caroline Sparks is a Crickett single-shot, and has a child safety, according to Cumberland County Coroner Gary White. The company’s web site features three .22-caliber rifle models for children and the slogan, “My first rifle.”
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The death of a 2-year old girl by her gun-toting 5-year old brother was no "accident." The parents should be charged with negligent homicide for allowing a 5-year old to own and operate a deadly weapon.
I read a lot of whining and bitching on conservative blogs about spoiled children of indulgent parents and how this is ruining our country, but I never hear any of those same bloggers talk about the absolute insanity and mind-numbing stupidity of parents who give 5-year olds guns--the stupidity of imbecilic parents who believe a 5-year-old would have the judgement and maturity to understand the dangers in operating a deadly weapon.
No parent who allows a 5-year-old child to play with and use a loaded weapon can ever be labeled "responsible."
Child endangerment and abuse is what that is.
12 comments:
Three words to describe the parents... TOTAL COMPLETE MORONS.
"Nationally, guns still kill twice as many children and young people than cancer, five times as many than heart disease and 15 times more than infection, according to the New England Journal of Medicine." Again, NRA
collateral damage. They continue
pushing dangerous 'toys'.
these kind of events will ocntinue....until all of America wakes up and enforces sensible regulation. A first sep would be to penalties for unsafe, unprudent placeement and use of firearms. This was as negligent as pushing a kid down the stairs.
For the extremists in the conservative universe, the country is going to hell only when liberal parents act stupid. They're completely silent on this subject, parents giving loaded deadly weapons to 5-year old babies, that sort of stupid behavior is okay because 2ND AMENDMENT RIGHTS! trump everthing!
"My wife told me to do something with my daughter after gymnastics today, she recommended going for hot chocolate or a donut. I thought, that's not special, plus once you've consumed the item where does that leave you. Instead we bought a pink Crickett from(sic) my six year old daughter and wanted to say thanks for making quality affordable firearms for new shooters. The 'girls' option is especially appreciated because as scary as it sounds the color really helped get her excited about it. Bethany says thanks too! She'll be quite fashionable at the Sportsman Club tomorrow.
" Chris "
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From Crickett's testimonial page.
Apparently fashion may trump safety.
Clearly, the person who wrote that testimonial should be locked up for child abuse.
okjimm, a kid who is pushed down the stairs can very likely survive with nothing more than some bruises.
A child cannot survive being shot in the face or chest.
What sort of a stupid culture tolerates this totally preventable killing?
No parent should be allowed to give babies loaded guns to play with.
We do not allow parents to give their children alcoholic drinks or cigarettes. There are laws against giving those items to children. An adult cannot buy alcohol or cigarettes and give them to children, but guns are okay?
This is madness.
And we have the criminals in the leadership of the N.R.A. and stupid parents to blame for the carnage.
I'm thinking insanity, send directly to the asylum.
Oh, that's right, I forgot. The inmates have taken over the asylum.
To think, I had to wait until I was 12 and could shot only when my dad was present. When he wasn't guns were looked up. Imagine that.
I wonder if the NRA today would argue that it was a violation of my 2'nd amendment rights.
A 12-year-old has some idea of being responsible, and surely your father was responsible to not allow even a 12-year-old to use a lethal weapon unless he was present. And he locked up the guns when he wasn't around.
What the hell happened to the idiot grown-ups in this country who abandoned those perfectly sane rules for guns and children?
I place all of the blame at the feet of the leadership of the N.R.A. and its lackeys.
Yes, if by lackeys you mean gutless pols I second it.
Yes, gutless politicians, Republican and Democratic.
I guess, what I meant, is leaving any firearm, loaded or otherwise, in reach of a child SHOULD be criminal negligence, not a 'accident', just as if you pushed a kid down the stairs.
buying a kid, a five yr old, a firearm....is not only stupid, but should be criminally negligent as well.
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