Guns in kids' bedrooms?

[hammAR]

Guns in kids' bedrooms? Ohio hunting town approves

BIG PRAIRIE, Ohio – The guns were kept in the boy's bedroom, resting on a rack mounted to the wall. The one investigators say was used to kill his mother — a .22-caliber rifle — was found lying on his bed.

On a cold winter evening in Big Prairie, a rural hunting town, the 10-year-old boy picked up the rifle and shot his mother, 46-year-old Deborah McVay, in the head, authorities say. Relatives said mother and son had been arguing over chores: He didn't want to carry firewood into the house.

The notion of a 10-year-old boy keeping a stash of weapons in his bedroom is a jolting one to some Americans, but not so in Big Prairie, where the sound of gunshots ricocheting through the air is familiar — even comforting. Here, children learn to fire guns as easily as they learn to ride bicycles.

The child's tender age exposes an age-old divide between rural and urban in a nation where 80 million people are registered gun owners. It also raises anew the question of whether children should have access to guns — let alone be permitted to keep loaded guns in their bedrooms.
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[nyffman]

Drip, drip, drip..............

[shackleford]

I've never registered as a gun owner, I better get down to the police station today.

[carver952]

I'm ok with teaching children about guns, even having hunting licenses at 12.
However, I think they should NOT have direct access until they are 15.
http://www.chaskaherald.com/news/school ... tudent-101

[chunkstyle]

I had a .22 when I was 6.

[Tommy Gun]

I'm ok with teaching children about guns, even having hunting licenses at 12.
However, I think they should NOT have direct access until they are 15.
http://www.chaskaherald.com/news/school ... tudent-101

I tend to agree with you on this. We don't allow kids to drive a car until they reach a certain age, so not allowing immediate access to firearms would not be unreasonable. Having said that, it is ultimately up to the parents to make sure that the firearms in their home are managed in a responsible fashion. In the case the OP cited, that family made a poor decision and paid an awful price.

[bensdad]

I had a .22 when I was 6.

With unlimited and unsupervised access? My kids have been shooting since I don't know when. But at the ages of 11 (girl) and 8 (boy) they still have to ask for access.

[Heffay]

This shouldn't be considered a gun issue by the news, but a mental illness issue. That's where the focus of the article should be.

[Tommy Gun]

This shouldn't be considered a gun issue by the news, but a mental illness issue. That's where the focus of the article should be.

[strike] [/strike]

Sorry. I was multitasking. I thought this was the AZ shooting thread.

[1911fan]

As long as I can remember we had a 12 gauge by the front door and a .22 at the back. The gun lock on our guns was the word of my parents.

[gyrfalcon]

If I had a kid I would hand it a .357 as it came out of the womb...

[xd ED]

This shouldn't be considered a gun issue by the news, but a mental illness issue. That's where the focus of the article should be.

I agree. This was not a typical kid, regardless of his age. Ironically, the kid's issues may have been caused by the parents' relationship, but that's speculation.
The father's behavior seems to be a contributor. As I read it the kid having a gun was his way of creating unrest in the home of his ex. He should have kept the gun at his home, and taken his son shooting under his supervision.

[JJ]

When I was 12 and my brother was 16, we were released on the world in the fall for hunting. I remember well riding my bike down the road to a farm down the street to hunt geese, ducks, and pheasants. Of course this was before Elk River became urban, but not that long ago, I'm only 28. As 1911fan mentioned, the only lock was a bond with my parents.

[photogpat]

I had my .22 in my closet at age 11, it was a gift from Dad right after finishing DNR Firearm's Safety. I received a 20 gauge shotgun from Grandpa for my birthday that year too...

Both of those went onto a gun rack on the wall in my bedroom -- and never came down except to go to the range, the cabin or hunting. I was pretty pissed off at some people back in my teenage years; teachers, former friends, bullies, parents, etc...even needed counseling at one point. But I never thought about taking either of those weapons off the rack and shooting anyone. Might have been that I was taught right from wrong by my family.

[danscrapbags]

I was going to not comment on this one but just had to say something. Both of my sons have had shotguns in their rooms since they were 12 and finished firearms safety... If my kids ever shot me? Boy would they be in for it!! But seriously, the kid in question must have been a nut case and the parents should have seen the signs... wouldn't ya think?? What a shame!