Accidental Shooting of Philly 4-Year-Old - Mother to be Interviewed

Philly.com reports

A four-year-old Philadelphia boy was in critical condition and undergoing emergency surgery Saturday night after he found a gun beneath his mother's pillow and shot himself in the chest, police said.

The rowhouse block is a draw for first-time homebuyers. Asked if it was the kind of place where residents felt the need to keep firearms by their bedsides, the neighbor said it was nothing of the sort - neither a target of vandals or nor of violent criminals.

In fact, the neighbor said, the nearest police station is two blocks away and visible from residents' front stoops. "Our neighborhood's quiet," the neighbor said. "Everybody looks out for everybody."

I suppose if she owned the gun legally and were the right color, there'd be no need for charges. It was just an accident, after all. But, you never know.

Don't you find that often a white, lawful gun owner gets away with this kind of thing, while his black counterpart does not? There are exceptions, I realize, which is one of the problems. Punishment for this kind of negligence should be standardized and consistent.

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