[Kanda444]

Originally Posted by Megamel29 ↗

Part of me wants to own a gun. The rest of me worries one of my nieces or nephews will get their hands on it. I live alone, but what if? I could never live with myself if something happened to one of my babies with a gun I owned.

there are plenty of ways to secure a firearm safely. i have a 3 and a 4 year old in the house and my firearms are secured in a fashion to where they couldnt get to the guns if they wanted to.

if you are not around your gun, keep it unloaded and locked up. you can buy a safe to keep them in *that's the best bet* or you can get gun locks. some guns (my Taurus and my wife's Bersa) have integrated locks, so with the turn of a key the gun is inoperable, like this:

keep ammo stored in a separate secured area

there are tons of different types of gun locks...

if you arent going to be using the firearm for awhile, take the bolt out so the gun cannot be fired.

the main thing is (and why these tragedies happened imo) to always keep in mind that a gun is a dangerous tool. COMPLACENCY is a huge issue! there shouldn't have been live ammunition in the chambers of the guns in these tragedies unless they were about to be fire (which they werent). the police officer in the story above should have safety checked his weapon before he ever even thought about handing it over to another person or setting it down. the .22 in the other story shouldnt have been loaded, let alone had a round in the chamber...

there is no reason why a gun should be stored in an unsafe manner or handled in an unsafe manner.

gun handling rules are pretty easy to remember and follow. if followed, there is no reason why anybody should ever get hurt by a firearm unintentionally.

1) All guns are always loaded.

2) Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.

3) Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.

4) Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

[DiamondSmiles]

Great photos and instructions, Kanda! Thank you! Very thorough

[Kanda444]

Originally Posted by diamondsmiles ↗

Great photos and instructions, Kanda! Thank you! Very thorough

thank you, im glad you enjoyed it!

i have OCD so i could go on for hours and hours about how to be safe with firearms.... it breaks my heart to hear stories like these that could have been avoided if people would have just followed safety rules.

[DiamondSmiles]

Anything can be dangerous to a toddler or a small child!

I use my own system of judgment with anything under three feet high is what they see and try to remove small items, sharp items and anything breakable.

I sit on the floor and look around and see what they see.

[Kanda444]

Originally Posted by diamondsmiles ↗

Anything can be dangerous to a toddler or a small child!

I use my own system of judgment with anything under three feet high is what they see and try to remove small items, sharp items and anything breakable.

I sit on the floor and look around and see what they see.

that's a great idea!!!

child care is another area where complacency has no home in... and sadly, it's the reason we hear so many tragic stories

[jokerlad19]

yanks

[DiamondSmiles]

Friday, April 12, 2013

TOMS RIVER, NJ - April 11, 2013 (WPVI) -- The parents of a 6-year-old boy who was shot and killed by a 4-year-old in Toms River, New Jersey have decided to donate their son's organs.

The parents said they made the decision because it could, "do some good."

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office took over the case of Brandon Holt's death because the parents of the 4-year-old have relatives who worked in law enforcement in Ocean County.

6-year-old dies after shooting by 4-year-old

Police said the boys were playing Monday when the 4-year-old got a loaded .22-caliber rifle from his family's Toms River home and accidentally shot Holt in the head.

Investigators want to know how the younger boy got the gun.

Meanwhile, Holt's funeral will take place Saturday.


Boy's name finally released, along with photo.

TOMS RIVER — A 6-year-old boy died Tuesday, a day after his 4-year-old neighbor shot him in the head with a rifle while the two were playing outside of a Toms River home.

Brandon Holt, who was a student at St. Joseph’s Grade School in Toms River, died at 5 p.m. at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he had been flown after being shot on Monday, Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said.

UPDATE: Toms River boy's organs to be donated, questions loom
Brandon had been sitting in an open all-terrain vehicle outside of the four-year-old’s home when he was shot once by the younger playmate, Mastronardy said. The four-year-old’s father immediately secured the .22-caliber gun while the mother called 911.

“Unfortunately, it’s a tragic accident,” Mastronardy said. “Right now, what we want to concentrate (on) is working with the family and helping them through this difficult time.”
Holt, a student at St. Joseph’s Elementary School in Toms River, was flown shortly thereafter from a helicopter landing zone on Cedar Grove Road to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said.

Whether the boy actually pulled the gun’s trigger or it accidentally discharged remains under investigation, Mastronardy said.

But how a 4-year-old child was able to gain access to a loaded gun was the question that was on the minds of many Tuesday and one that authorities did not answer

[Sharon]

How terrible