It had all the hallmarks of a homicide: a victim shot dead, the gun ditched away from the body, a suspect on the run.
But police now say the tragic shooting death of a 4-year-old Washington state boy was actually accidental.
The one-time suspect,Trevor Braymiller, is in custody but not for shooting little Dwayne Kerrigan. Instead, police say Braymiller, a convicted felon and the boyfriend of Dwayne’s mother, faces charges for illegally possessing the gun the little boy used to shoot himself.
Felons in Washington are not allowed to own firearms, and Braymiller, police say, has past drug convictions.
Except for the fact that he looks a lot like James Holmes, he was practically a lawful gun owner. Being a disqualified person for a non-violent offense is something that practically all gun-rights advocates feel is wrong.
But, being an ex-felon is one sure way to be held responsible for an accidental shooting with your gun. Too bad the police don't treat all gun negligence that seriously.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
What we know here is that he broke the law and then tried to hide the fact. The question of whether felons should get their rights back is for another time. In this case, it's clear why he was arrested, while ordinary people who have accidents aren't.
ReplyDeleteA felon in possession of a firearm and you consider him to be practically a lawful gun owner? Is that the same as a hidden gun criminal?
ReplyDeleteI don't think non-violent offenses should disqualify one from owning guns unless there are extenuating circumstances. So, based on that, he was practically a lawful gun owner in my book.
DeleteNot counting the fifty percent that you think shouldn't be allowed to own guns even before they do anything wrong? There's some fancy legal term for this, can't think of it right now. Anyone? Anyone?
DeleteYeah, the fancy legal term: common sense. Besides, people who binge drink and carry a gun ARE doing something wrong.
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