Gun owner charged after 8-year-old shoots his mother accidentally

[Euler]

NBC News

A Tennessee mother was hospitalized ... after her 8-year-old son accidentally shot her ...

 

The gun's owner, Charles McFarland Jr., was arrested and faces charges of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.

 

The ... boy found a loaded gun while playing inside an antique World War II jeep belonging to McFarland, authorities said.

 

The jeep had been on display as part of a celebration the stadium holds for veterans ...

 

Thinking the gun was a toy, the child pulled the trigger, shooting his mother. She was taken to a Memphis hospital in critical condition, police said.

...

[spanishjames]

The three of them each learned a valuable lesson that day.

[papa]

The three of them each learned a valuable lesson that day.

And two more anti-gunners were added to the list probably . I hope the mother pulls through and I hope the young boy gets over the shock of this traumatic experience quickly.

 

I don't understand why anyone would leave a loaded firearm in something that was on display to the public. While it can be argued that no one should have been in or on the Jeep , you have to allow for those who do not respect private property.

[RandyP]

The gun owner WAS reckless with a deadly weapon and obviously endangered someone - IMHO he earned the arrest fair and square.

[BigJim]

While it can be argued that no one should have been in or on the Jeep , you have to allow for those who do not respect private property.

I believe the term is "attractive nuisance" when it comes to things like this. It is assumed the owner should have realized his property would attract kids to climb on it even thought it is private property and may even be posted as "private property - keep off". The owner will pay big time for this.

[chicagoresident]

Just to be a contrarian, was the Jeep on display, or was it parked in a designated parking spot for the veterans for the event? That parking spot was likely close to the entrance given the age of many veterans, which would mean there is a security guard standing there.

 

If it's a military jeep it doesn't have a key.

 

The stadium would definitely be a gun free zone.

 

Throw in the changing norms of parents who don't parent their kids and non law enforcement authority figures who are afraid to reprimand other people's kids I can see how this happens.

 

Veteran parks his vintage Jeep, sees the GFZ sign, "oh crud", looks over at the security guard watching over the designated parking area and is relieved, hides the gun under the seat and goes in.

 

Little illegitimate child pulls a breaking and entering while the single mom is chatting up the security guard. Shoots the mom cuz the kid's absentee father never taught him gun safety or not to mess with another man's car.

[quackersmacker]

Just to be a contrarian, was the Jeep on display, or was it parked in a designated parking spot for the veterans for the event? That parking spot was likely close to the entrance given the age of many veterans, which would mean there is a security guard standing there.

 

If it's a military jeep it doesn't have a key.

 

The stadium would definitely be a gun free zone.

 

Throw in the changing norms of parents who don't parent their kids and non law enforcement authority figures who are afraid to reprimand other people's kids I can see how this happens.

 

Veteran parks his vintage Jeep, sees the GFZ sign, "oh crud", looks over at the security guard watching over the designated parking area and is relieved, hides the gun under the seat and goes in.

 

Little illegitimate child pulls a breaking and entering while the single mom is chatting up the security guard. Shoots the mom cuz the kid's absentee father never taught him gun safety or not to mess with another man's car.

 

And you got all that from Post #1. Wow, you should be in the FBI!

[Euler]

...

...

The jeep had been on display as part of a celebration the stadium holds for veterans ...

 

[mab22]

Police press release is here on fake book.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2474961105868876&id=201561323208877&_ft_=mf_story_key.2474961105868876%3Atop_level_post_id.2474961105868876%3Atl_objid.2474961105868876%3Acontent_owner_id_new.201561323208877%3Athrowback_story_fbid.2474961105868876%3Apage_id.201561323208877%3Aphoto_id.2475010569197263%3Astory_location.4%3Astory_attachment_style.photo%3Apage_insights.%7B%22201561323208877%22%3A%7B%22role%22%3A1%2C%22page_id%22%3A201561323208877%2C%22post_context%22%3A%7B%22story_fbid%22%3A2474961105868876%2C%22publish_time%22%3A1557893212%2C%22story_name%22%3A%22EntStatusCreationStory%22%2C%22object_fbtype%22%3A266%7D%2C%22actor_id%22%3A201561323208877%2C%22psn%22%3A%22EntStatusCreationStory%22%2C%22sl%22%3A4%2C%22dm%22%3A%7B%22isShare%22%3A0%2C%22originalPostOwnerID%22%3A0%7D%2C%22targets%22%3A%5B%7B%22page_id%22%3A201561323208877%2C%22actor_id%22%3A201561323208877%2C%22role%22%3A1%2C%22post_id%22%3A2474961105868876%2C%22share_id%22%3A0%7D%5D%7D%7D&__tn__=%2C%3B

[RandyP]

Interesting info at that FB link. The gun owner is said to operate a military museum and also to run a gun shop in the area. He is a 76 yr old Vet. By all accounts from those FB posters who say they know him personally he is just a great guy.

 

That said, if anyone should know about common sense and gun safety, it would have to be him? I mean jeepers...…. can't install a locking metal ammo box on your GI open Jeep that you put on display to secure your loaded handgun? A preventable tragedy for which he may well pay dearly.

[McCroskey]

He earned that arrest. My guess is they'll let him off with a slap on the wrist and maybe fines and whatnot, seeing as how is wife is in the hospital and he needs to look after the kid. Hopefully he does a better job in the future.

[RS1]

He earned that arrest. My guess is they'll let him off with a slap on the wrist and maybe fines and whatnot, seeing as how is wife is in the hospital and he needs to look after the kid. Hopefully he does a better job in the future.

He has no relationship with the kid or the kid's mom.

 

Totally his fault BUT it's another reason all kids should be taught fireearm safety. "Find gun, point at mom, pull trigger" shouldn't be the default action.

[mab22]

"Find gun, point at mom, pull trigger" shouldn't be the default action.

Agree 100%.

Can you imagine the exploding heads if you tried to make K-12 take an annual firearm safety course. Considering its a right, it only seems to make sense and there might actually be less OOPPS moments.

[Euler]

Can you imagine the exploding heads if you tried to make K-12 take an annual firearm safety course. Considering its a right, it only seems to make sense and there might actually be less OOPPS moments.

Remember that "firearm safety" is an anti-gunner buzz-phrase that means something other than how to handle a firearm safely.

[mab22]

 

Can you imagine the exploding heads if you tried to make K-12 take an annual firearm safety course. Considering its a right, it only seems to make sense and there might actually be less OOPPS moments.

Remember that "firearm safety" is an anti-gunner buzz-phrase that means something other than how to handle a firearm safely.

What is the non anti-gunner phrase that should be used based on the intent of the post, which is to support the constitution and not restrict it?

[Euler]

 

 

Can you imagine the exploding heads if you tried to make K-12 take an annual firearm safety course. Considering its a right, it only seems to make sense and there might actually be less OOPPS moments.

Remember that "firearm safety" is an anti-gunner buzz-phrase that means something other than how to handle a firearm safely.

 

What is the non anti-gunner phrase that should be used based on the intent of the post, which is to support the constitution and not restrict it?

 

"Firearm education" would cover it, but anti-gunners would object to the existence of such a course.

[Euler]

Just to expand on the above point as an FYI.

 

We use firearm safety to mean taking responsibility for every bullet that leaves the muzzle of a gun, avoiding accidental or negligent discharges, and avoiding reckless behavior.

 

Anti-gunners use "firearm safety" (or "gun safety") specifically to mean the opposite of "gun violence," because guns are inherently evil devices that shoot people every chance they get.

 

Examples of anti-gunner "Firearm safety" hits on Google:

 

New York Senate Passes Gun Safety Legislation Banning 3D Printed Guns

Booker's Bold View on Gun Safety (an article on universal background checks, semi-auto bans, mag limits)

Gun Safety Summit: Advocacy Required to Reduce Deaths

 

I'm not saying we should relinquish control of the vocabulary to them. I'm just saying it's worth being aware they've adopted it as a buzz-phrase with a meaning different from the conventional definitions of the individual words.

[chicagoresident]

Interesting info at that FB link. The gun owner is said to operate a military museum and also to run a gun shop in the area. He is a 76 yr old Vet. By all accounts from those FB posters who say they know him personally he is just a great guy.

 

That said, if anyone should know about common sense and gun safety, it would have to be him? I mean jeepers.... can't install a locking metal ammo box on your GI open Jeep that you put on display to secure your loaded handgun? A preventable tragedy for which he may well pay dearly.

This is why there's something missing in the story. I don't buy the narrative from the civilian disarmament complex (law enforcement and media).

 

The guy was a class 3 firearms dealer, which means he knew all about safe storage.

 

There were a series of wrongs that led to this, it may of been one mistake on the gun owners part, maybe a mechanical failure of a lockbox, or too much faith in parents to not let their kids treat other people's private property as a playground. The fact that this mom isn't blasting the GoFundMe site all over social media and standing besides Shannon Watts blasting irresponsible gun owners makes me think she saddles the majority of the blame.

 

Let's not be quick to judge. Just wait until one of you appears in a news article. "Irresponsible gun owner lends honor roll student car with loaded gun inside to take SAT's, honor roll student accidently shoots rival valedictorian".

[RS1]

 

Can you imagine the exploding heads if you tried to make K-12 take an annual firearm safety course. Considering its a right, it only seems to make sense and there might actually be less OOPPS moments.

Remember that "firearm safety" is an anti-gunner buzz-phrase that means something other than how to handle a firearm safely.

Just to be clear, when I say "firearm safety", I mean it in the proper sense. The 3 Rules and an Eddie Eagle type program.

 

I hate the idea of letting an agenda driven group co-opt what should be a straight forward idea. Firearm safety. Using and dealing with firearms safely.

[Euler]

 

 

Can you imagine the exploding heads if you tried to make K-12 take an annual firearm safety course. Considering its a right, it only seems to make sense and there might actually be less OOPPS moments.

Remember that "firearm safety" is an anti-gunner buzz-phrase that means something other than how to handle a firearm safely.

 

Just to be clear, when I say "firearm safety", I mean it in the proper sense. The 3 Rules and an Eddie Eagle type program.

 

I hate the idea of letting an agenda driven group co-opt what should be a straight forward idea. Firearm safety. Using and dealing with firearms safely.

 

I know how you/we mean it, but if you say you want to teach "firearm safety" in schools, it's the other side that's going to implement it using their definition.

[chicagoresident]

 

 

Can you imagine the exploding heads if you tried to make K-12 take an annual firearm safety course. Considering its a right, it only seems to make sense and there might actually be less OOPPS moments.

Remember that "firearm safety" is an anti-gunner buzz-phrase that means something other than how to handle a firearm safely.

Just to be clear, when I say "firearm safety", I mean it in the proper sense. The 3 Rules and an Eddie Eagle type program.

I hate the idea of letting an agenda driven group co-opt what should be a straight forward idea. Firearm safety. Using and dealing with firearms safely.

Agreed. The anti's would have a hard time coopting "gun safety", it requires them to admit that guns can be used safely. Sure, safe storage, public safety, gun violence safety, school safety, etc, but I'd love to see them attempt to coopt "gun safety". I'm pretty sure we forever own this one.

[gangrel]

Can you imagine the exploding heads if you tried to make K-12 take an annual firearm safety course. Considering its a right, it only seems to make sense and there might actually be less OOPPS moments.Remember that "firearm safety" is an anti-gunner buzz-phrase that means something other than how to handle a firearm safely.Just to be clear, when I say "firearm safety", I mean it in the proper sense. The 3 Rules and an Eddie Eagle type program.I hate the idea of letting an agenda driven group co-opt what should be a straight forward idea. Firearm safety. Using and dealing with firearms safely.I know how you/we mean it, but if you say you want to teach "firearm safety" in schools, it's the other side that's going to implement it using their definition.

Maybe the approach here is to take advantage of the confusion the other side has created. Two can play that game.

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

 

[Euler]

Agreed. The anti's would have a hard time coopting "gun safety", it requires them to admit that guns can be used safely. Sure, safe storage, public safety, gun violence safety, school safety, etc, but I'd love to see them attempt to coopt "gun safety". I'm pretty sure we forever own this one.

...

Examples of anti-gunner "Firearm safety" hits on Google:

 

New York Senate Passes Gun Safety Legislation Banning 3D Printed Guns

Booker's Bold View on Gun Safety (an article on universal background checks, semi-auto bans, mag limits)

Gun Safety Summit: Advocacy Required to Reduce Deaths

...

(bold added)

 

They seem to be doing okay with co-opting it so far.