What's your opinion? Does it make a difference that this was a toy gun? Should it?A 10-year-old girl was transported by helicopter to a Grand Rapids hospital after she was shot in the head by a high-powered air pellet rifle about 3 p.m. Saturday while camping with family on an island in the Pere Marquette River in Custer Township.The girl, a Grand Rapids resident, was reportedly in critical condition following her airlift, according to the Mason County Press. Mason County Sheriff Jeff Fiers said the shooting appeared to have been accidental and was caused when a family member accidentally discharged the weapon, according to reports.
Some people think air-soft and other demi-firearms should be treated like the real thing. I feel even stronger about that.
As far as the parents being held responsible for accidents like this, too often that doesn't happen. It was only an accident, after all. It wasn't a real gun anyway. In this case there was not mention of there being any investigation at all. That's a disgrace.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
I don't know what sources you read. I found these two reports:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.masoncountypress.com/2012/09/01/10-year-old-girl-shot-on-pm-river/
http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/nw_mich/gr-girl-shot-in-head-while-camping
First of all, both reports refer to a high powered air pellet rifle. That is not an AirSoft gun. Airsoft guns shoot large, light-weight plastic BBs at speeds of around 300 feet per second. A high powered air pellet rifle shoots a 0.177 caliber lead pellet at up to 1200 feet per second. There are also .22 caliber air pellet rifles available. A pellet rifle shooting a .177 caliber lead pellet at 1200 feet per second has a non-trivial potential to injure someone ... and a .22 caliber air pellet rifle has even more potential to injure someone. AirSoft? No way. An AirSoft gun could cause minor injuries to someone but it wouldn't put a person in the hospital in critical condition.
Second, both stories indicate that local law enforcement did investigate the incident for quite some time. Who knows if they will file charges?
You have to at least get the basic facts straight.
The airsoft fires at 300 ft per or less depending on the toy and thats muzzle speed. At about 10 ft the plastic bb just falls down because they are so light weight they have no energy. Up close they sting but wont penatrate skin.
ReplyDeleteAir powered pellet is a different thing and can be used to take very small game. And calibers are now up to a .357 that can take deer. Very expensive rifle the .357 and deadly.