Boy, 4, finds gun and shoots pregnant mom in the face
Source: Associated Press
Updated 12:05 pm CST, Sunday, February 3, 2019
SEATTLE (AP) Authorities say a pregnant Washington state woman was shot in the face Saturday by her 4-year-old son after the boy found a loaded, unsecured gun under a mattress.
The King County Sheriff's Office says the 27-year-old mother is eight months pregnant and was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
Deputies say the boy's father put the gun under a mattress because he was afraid of recent crime in the neighborhood.
Under a new state law, gun owners could face criminal charges for not safely storing a gun.
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Boy-4-finds-gun-and-shoots-pregnant-mom-in-the-13585440.php
truthisfreedom
(23,148 posts)Child-proof guns seem reasonable.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)I picked it up and brought it in to the living room to show everyone the cool thing I had discovered.
As long as guns are improperly stored, little kids will be finding them.
Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)
peacefrogman This message was self-deleted by its author.
yaesu
(8,020 posts)even though it wasn't his fault the boy will have to live with this the rest of his life & the grief that the father must be going through. I hope the mother & baby survives.
Me.
(35,454 posts)They were in the bed when he found the gun beneath the mattress.
"Abbott says the woman and her boyfriend, who is the father of her son, were in bed watching television when the boy found the unsecured gun between the mattress and box spring.
Read more here: https://www.thestate.com/news/nation-world/national/article225478745.html#storylink=cpy
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)OnlinePoker
(5,723 posts)He was playing with an older cousin 10 or 11 at the time, and their parents were out for the evening. This was on a working ranch and the gun was used for critter hunts. The cousin who survived has been a hunter his whole adult life and written several books about his hunts. I hadn't been born when the 7 year old was killed.
Judi Lynn
(160,555 posts)48 minutes ago
SEATTLE (AP) The Latest on a 4-year-old shooting pregnant mother in the face (all times local):
12 p.m.
A pregnant Washington state woman remains hospitalized but her condition has improved after her 4-year-old son shot her in the face with a loaded handgun he found under a mattress.
King County Sheriffs Office spokesman Sgt. Ryan Abbott says the 27-year-old mother was hospitalized Saturday with life-threatening injuries. He says her condition improved Sunday and she was transferred to another hospital.
Abbott says the woman and her boyfriend, who is the father of her son, were in bed watching television when the boy found the unsecured gun between the mattress and box spring.
More:
https://apnews.com/3ffe87dda2cb482d96425e83b47fee8b
Blarneyman
(14 posts)And created crime as a result!
SunSeeker
(51,576 posts)erronis
(15,306 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Guns as "protection" is an NRA myth, probably funded by Putin, who wants to kill as many Americans as possible.
Sancho
(9,070 posts)This is my generic response to gun threads where people are shot and killed by the dumb or criminal possession of guns. For the record, I grew up in the South and on military bases. I was taught about firearms as a child, and I grew up hunting, was a member of the NRA, and I still own guns. In the 70s, I dropped out of the NRA because they become more radical and less interested in safety and training. Some personal experiences where people I know were involved in shootings caused me to realize that anyone could obtain and posses a gun no matter how illogical it was for them to have a gun. Also, easy access to more powerful guns, guns in the hands of children, and guns that werent secured are out of control in our society. As such, heres what I now think ought to be the requirements to possess a gun. Im not debating the legal language, I just think its the reasonable way to stop the shootings. Notice, none of this restricts the type of guns sold. This is aimed at the people who shoot others, because its clear that they should never have had a gun.
1.) Anyone in possession of a gun (whether they own it or not) should have a regularly renewed license. If you want to call it a permit, certificate, or something else that's fine.
2.) To get a license, you should have a background check, and be examined by a professional for emotional and mental stability appropriate for gun possession. It might be appropriate to require that examination to be accompanied by references from family, friends, employers, etc. This check is not to subject you to a mental health diagnosis, just check on your superficial and apparent gun-worthyness.
3.) To get the license, you should be required to take a safety course and pass a test appropriate to the type of gun you want to use.
4.) To get a license, you should be over 21. Under 21, you could only use a gun under direct supervision of a licensed person and after obtaining a learners license. Your license might be restricted if you have children or criminals or other unsafe people living in your home. (If you want to argue 18 or 25 or some other age, fine. 21 makes sense to me.)
5.) If you possess a gun, you would have to carry a liability insurance policy specifically for gun ownership - and likely you would have to provide proof of appropriate storage, security, and whatever statistical reasons that emerge that would drive the costs and ability to get insurance.
6.) You could not purchase a gun or ammunition without a license, and purchases would have a waiting period.
7.) If you possess a gun without a license, you go to jail, the gun is impounded, and a judge will have to let you go (just like a DUI).
8.) No one should carry an unsecured gun (except in a locked case, unloaded) when outside of home. Guns should be secure when transporting to a shooting event without demonstrating a special need. Their license should indicate training and special carry circumstances beyond recreational shooting (security guard, etc.). If you are carrying your gun while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you lose your gun and license.
9.) If you buy, sell, give away, or inherit a gun, your license information should be recorded.
10.) If you accidentally discharge your gun, commit a crime, get referred by a mental health professional, are served a restraining order, etc., you should lose your license and guns until reinstated by a serious relicensing process.
Most of you know that a license is no big deal. Besides a drivers license you need a license to fish, operate a boat, or many other activities. I realize these differ by state, but that is not a reason to let anyone without a bit of sense pack a semiautomatic weapon in public, on the roads, and in schools. I think we need to make it much harder for some people to have guns.
paleotn
(17,931 posts)many of which are found on the books of other nations with far, far fewer firearms tragedies than we have in the US.
Woodwizard
(845 posts)Buying a firearm without any training is idiotic and it happens all the time, new neighbor shot a 308 through my shop just a few weeks ago the bullet hit my workbench I was about 15 feet away. State police impounded the gun but it wont surprise me if he gets it back.
In the military we trained for weeks before live fire. Its crazy to go into a gun shop and buy a long gun with no certification and I live in NY state where we supposedly have strict gun laws.
LuvNewcastle
(16,847 posts)would be the requirement to have liability insurance. A policy would cost too much for most people who would be a bad risk. If we could get a bill through requiring insurance, the rest would just about take care of itself. Wed probably have a hard time getting it past SCOTUS, however. Theyll probably shoot down any gun legislation that we pass anytime soon. I think were going to have to pack the Court to get anything done.
Stuart G
(38,436 posts)ffr
(22,671 posts)IronLionZion
(45,466 posts)People need to lock their guns up. I definitely tried getting into my grandfather's gun cabinet as a kid but he kept it carefully locked up.
Chrisdutch
(70 posts)1.) what Muslim terrorist group was the kid a member of?
2.) Who's got the thoughts and prayers?
rpannier
(24,330 posts)and the 4-year old was the good guy with the gun
FakeNoose
(32,659 posts)tclambert
(11,087 posts)'Cause the cops will probably lock the first one in the evidence room. Maybe he should get a third gun to hide under the mom's hospital bed, too. You know, to be safe.
Cold War Spook
(1,279 posts)We were about 14 when a friend showed me his new rifle while pointing it at me. I kept my cool and when he stopped laughing and put it down, I picked it, made sure it was unloaded, smacked him in the face with the butt and took it outside and bent the barrel. I don't use profanity so I can't tell you what my father said to his father when he came over and wanted us to pay for the rifle. 4 years of training to shoot and safety at Summer camp kept a dangerous situation from getting one of us killed. Because of a problem with muscle control, I no longer have a weapon or a motorcycle.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)I live in an area where there are a lot of guns. I grew up seeing them at my grandpa's house and elsewhere. I learned to shoot a shotgun at 15. I have a .32 revolver right now.
Most of the people I know who are raised around guns are very good with safety. They know what they're dealing with. Stupidity or a mistake can kill someone.
Kaleva
(36,315 posts)That is boyfriends, husbands, co-workers, and friends.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)I read that last year. It's a shocking statistic.
Lucid Dreamer
(584 posts)Here is an article from 2017 saying only auto accidents beat homicide. I think the data studied was from 2015.
"A study by the Centers for Disease Control found that among injury related deaths, only car accidents were a more common cause of death for pregnant women."
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/7558997-homicide-now-second-leading-cause-of-death-for-pregnant-women-in-the-us/
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)keep it up high, locked up, and unloaded.
Stupid guy. What an unnecessary tragedy.
Kaleva
(36,315 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Especially when you're too stupid to keep it away from your 4-year-old.
The numbers on guns as "protection" reveal it to be a complete NRA/Putin fiction. The NRA (as Putin's agent) wants as many Americans as possible to have guns so we can all kill each other, saving the Red Army having to do the job themselves.