Can I take the gun for show & tell dad?

[craigcw]

So where was dad or mom when the boy got the gun and put it in the backpack?


Boy, 8, Accidentally Shoots Girl, 7, at Md. Day Care
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

GERMANTOWN, Md. — A gun brought to a day care center by an 8-year-old boy accidentally went off Tuesday, wounding a 7-year-old girl in the arm, police said.

The boy had the gun in a backpack and was playing with it when it went off at the For Kids We Care center, Montgomery County police spokesman Derek Baliles said.

The girl was taken to Children's Hospital in Washington, he said. Her injury was not considered life-threatening.

There were six children in the center at the time of the shooting, which happened around 7 a.m. No one else was hurt.

Officers were interviewing the boy Tuesday afternoon to find out how he got the weapon and how it was fired. Police also plan to talk to the other children and to the boy's parents.

Names of the children, both from Germantown, a suburb of Washington, were not released. They were dropped off by their parents at the center, which provides care before school hours as well as daylong care for younger children.

Police spokeswoman Nancy Nickerson visited the scene shortly after the shooting and said the children were watching television.

"The day care provider there did an excellent job of keeping the children safe and secure and calm," she said.

For Kids We Care Inc. operates two medium-size daycare centers in Germantown, according to its Web site.

"I'm a little concerned, of course, I'm just a little flustered right now, and nervous." Jackie Tazwell, who came to pick up her child at the center, told Washington-area television stations. "But things like this happen. It's a blessing that the little girl is OK."

[PGJPJ]

You can buy a gun locker at Bi-Mart for around $70 bucks. I think the gun manufactures will often give gun locks for free.

No excuse for the parents.

[Wild bill show]

BUT the gun didn't do it!

[Salmonator]

you're absolutely right, the parents that left the gun accessible for kids are the root cause. I just bought one of the $350 safes at bi-mart. I did not have the money but I felt like it was something I HAD to do owning guns with kids in the house. It's priority was to keep the kids out, but the thing weighs over 300lbs so it might actually keep them from everybody else too.

[Norm]

Clearly it's the responsibility of the gun owner to keep it out of kids reach. You can pickup a gun lock for free at most police stations and some sporting goods stores.

IMO: the gun owner should be held responsible in this type of case.

[crabbait]

Salmonator - Good plan, dude.

I feel a lot more secure when I am out of the house knowing that the "good stuff" is locked away in the safe. Don't know how I got by without it.

[EULACHON]

I say we put in metal detectors and security just like High School!!!

Parents fault 100%

[Sebastesgirl]

Honestly, who leaves their gun loaded with little children in the house how may have not been shown how to handle a gun. Don't we learn in hunter safety to always leave your gun and amo in different rooms? The parents should get fined for this. Idiots.

[Bonita]

Thank God she'll be okay. And, thank God it wasn't worse.
I have faith that the parents will be charged...with something.
There is absolutely NO excuse to not have a lock on the gun, they are free & often come with the gun. The first responsibility of a gun-owner with kids is to teach safe handling and practice safe keeping. my

[KingFisher85]

Sebastesgirl-no joke. No reason to keep a gun loaded in a house. It don't take that long to load a gun if the need to do so is there.

I read some place that they are trying to make it so...buy a gun safe = a tax write off.