Officials in Georgia say a third-grader who accidentally shot a classmate at school found the weapon while exploring his family's kitchen.
The shooting happened Tuesday at Hornsby Elementary School in Augusta. Authorities said the child was playing with the gun inside a desk when it accidentally discharged, grazing a girl. School officials say she was treated at a hospital and released.
Richmond County Department of School Safety Chief Alfonzo Williams said in a statement the boy was looking around his house for a toy and found the gun hidden in a curio stand in the kitchen. Williams said he used a chair to climb onto a counter to get to the gun.
The students' names weren't released because of their ages.
"Chief Alfonzo Williams of the Richmond County Department of School Safety said in a statement that the gun was owned by the boyfriend of the child’s maternal grandmother, and was found while he was “... looking around the house for a toy.” The gun was hidden in a “curio stand” in the kitchen, and the boy used a chair to climb onto a nearby counter to get the gun.
ReplyDeleteThe grandmother was staying in the house to “provide stability in the home,” Williams said. The boyfriend now faces one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor."
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/crime-courts/2015-08-26/third-grader-shooting-found-gun-family-kitchen-police-say
Don't you think that charge is pretty light in view of not only what actually happened, as if a shooting in a classroom is no big deal, but particularly in view of what might have happened, had the injury proved fatal?
DeleteContributing to the delinquency of a minor is an age-old charge for people that provide alcohol, cigarets or drugs to children. It's just a dodge in this case. How about "child endangerment?" Mayhem? I'm not Perry Mason here.
Since you think a lock box is simply an apartment (as stated on this blog by you previously) or a home, these incidents will continue to happen. Gun loons like you facilitate these deadly "accidents."
DeleteHowdy FJ, sorry for being slow getting back to you. Georgia's law allows sentences of up to a year in jail. If a person is seriously injured or killed, it goes immediately to a felony. I'm guessing it will be the gross misdemeanor level charge since there was no serious injury.
DeleteAnon, as you've no doubt noticed previously, my opinion is that since the child was there legally, its on the owner of the firearm to secure it. Hiding, or putting it up high isn't good enough.
DeleteIf the third grader had broken into a stranger's home though and taken the gun, its not the owner's fault.
BS, SS
DeleteYou said an apartment, or home IS a lock box and no further measures are necessary, you made no distinction because of circumstances. Next lie........
You are correct Anon, I have said that in the context of Mike's opinion of his other definition of safe storage. While most everyone defines safe storage as something regarding child access prevention, something I take quite seriously by the way because I have kids.
DeleteMike also has expectations of safe storage in regards to securing the firearms from people who break in to your home to steal things. People commonly called burglars. Most child access prevention laws don't apply to those cases where minors break into a home and steal a firearm, which is an example of common sense.
Most everyone here has heard me say that if a child either lives in the home or is visiting, its the responsibility of the owner to properly secure them. And if there are no children either living or visiting in the home, then the owner can do as they wish because they are in essence secured in a bit house or apartment sized lockbox.
You seem to use that word lie a lot when you don't have a cogent reply,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk
Typical of yuou to take back your words, thanks.
DeleteShould be a felony with the appropriate loss of gun rights. Why should people who prove themselves incapable of safely handling guns be allowed to continue having them?
Delete