Accidental Shooting of Texas 12-year-old by his 14-year-old Brother - No Charges

 Local news reports

A 14-year-old shot his younger brother at their East Bexar County home Thursday afternoon, apparently by accident, officials said.

Bexar County sheriff's Detective Louis Antu said the boys were alone at the home about a mile north of U.S. 87 on Stuart Road about 2 p.m. when the teen-ager shot his 12-year-old brother in the chest with a .22-caliber firearm.

Authorities said they believe the firearm belonged to the boys' mother, who was at work. Antu said the shooting is being handled as accidental, and no one had been charged as of Thursday afternoon.

He said deputies hadn't determined where the weapon was before the boy took it or whether he loaded it himself.

Antu said parents should keep firearms unloaded and inaccessible to children.

In Texas, that's the extent of the consequences to negligent parents whose kids get hurt or killed. They're told by the police what they "should" do. No one likes to be told what to do. It really hurts.

What's your opinion?  Mine is, I repeat, whenever a kid gets ahold of a gun, an adult gun owner should be held responsible.  The consequences should be something stronger than a mild verbal reprimand.

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