Do people not know how to store firearms?

[plblark]

they were talking about a prior case:

In August, a 9-year-old St. Paul boy accidentally shot and wounded his 2-year-old brother after he found a loaded handgun in a bedroom cabinet.

The children's father, Lue Xiong, pleaded guilty to negligent storage of a loaded firearm within access of a child. He's scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 13.

[rugersol]

IMO, jest 'cause a law's been written, and COULD be applied to a particular situation ... don't mean it was EVER meant to ... 'er SHOULD be! To believe otherwise, would lend a wholly undeserved credibility to legislators!

I once served on a jury fer "possession" of cocaine. It was a woman who was pulled over fer DUI. She got a ride to the jail. AFTER the deputy left the well-lit, warm jail garage, he 'sposedly pulled over on some county road, in late November, at 'bout 0' dark-thirty ... to do his "procedural" inspection of the back seat! ... at which, he found a 1/2in square "bindle" (at the time, I had to ask what that was) of cocaine.

The law, in question, explained to us, was that she was "in control" of "that area" of the vehicle. Basically, it had to do with thugs, in a car, with cocaine, claiming it was "left there by someone else"! ... this law, allowed them to be convicted, merely by "being there".

It was clearly not written to convict some woman, in the back of a squad ... for something found, well after she had been there ... allegedly!

Oh, it may have been her's ... and at first count, 10 of the jurors wanted to see her "put away"! (BTW, if yer ever a defendant, and ya see more than one soccer-mom on the jury, yer ****ed!) She was later found "innocent"! At one point, during deliberations, I pointed out that, according to the law, as written, it was in fact, the deputy, who was guilty of "posession"!

It wouldn't surprise me in the least, if this particular law had been written, along the lines of some junior thugs getting off, fer weapons "possession" ... 'er more specifically, the more senior thugs, fer havin' provided 'em! ... and, possibly, the "side benefit" of "educating" gun-owners to do a better job to keep guns secure from children! I fail to see how "child endangerment" wouldn't otherwise apply?! (not necessarily, in this particular case ... jest speaking to the reasons fer the "guns secure from children" law )

[Greg]

Something like this will likely destroy the family - hard to imagine living with that sort of pain. Accidents happen and when kids are involved its horrible. Regardless of who's fault it is, its a bad deal.

Sorta sad that our society seems to be so geared to placing blame somewhere - someone has to go down for the bad thing that happens. Trust me, there are alot of people going down on this and it will only be partially due to legal consequences. I can't imagine the damage this will do to that family. Truly tragic. I don't think there is any need to pile on- sympathy and empathy need to be the order of the day.

Thoughts and prayers to the family.

++1

[20mm]

they were talking about a prior case:

In August, a 9-year-old St. Paul boy accidentally shot and wounded his 2-year-old brother after he found a loaded handgun in a bedroom cabinet.

The children's father, Lue Xiong, pleaded guilty to negligent storage of a loaded firearm within access of a child. He's scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 13.

Yikes, I screwed up. The names are similar, I wonder if there is any relation.

[20mm]

Something like this will likely destroy the family - hard to imagine living with that sort of pain. Accidents happen and when kids are involved its horrible. Regardless of who's fault it is, its a bad deal.

Sorta sad that our society seems to be so geared to placing blame somewhere - someone has to go down for the bad thing that happens. Trust me, there are alot of people going down on this and it will only be partially due to legal consequences. I can't imagine the damage this will do to that family. Truly tragic. I don't think there is any need to pile on- sympathy and empathy need to be the order of the day.

Thoughts and prayers to the family.

If someone else's kid (like your own if you have any) had died would your opinion be any different? I was also wondering if he is found guilty do you think he should be allowed to own firearms again?

[yukonjasper]

No. I don't believe in emotional knee jerk witch hunts. From what I know - which isn't much and certainly less than those involved - it was an accident. The blame game will happen, but the legal ramifications will pale in comparison to the pain that this family is going through. Do you think any jail sentance will be worse than the thoughts, regrets and guilt?

Should people who own guns make sure they are secured and not made available to kids? Yes. You don't know the circumstances so playing the blame game is useless. Especially the speculation that flys around on the Interwebz where everyone is an expert and wants to see JUSTICE! JUSTICE I TELL YOU......... JUSTICE.

try to pull yourself away from the need to analyze and get your opinion out there and have a little compassion for what the situation is. Try to think of what you would be feeling if your son or daughter found your gun- whatever the circumstance and this happened in your family. Always good to look at all sides of the situation before you jump in with who should hang and how high.

BTW - whether your opinion is correct or not, won't affect the outcome of anything.

Have fun speculating and passing judgement.

[20mm]

If you want to send flowers or condolence cards be my guest. A child is dead and there is a reason it happened. Someone was likely irresponsible and allowed the 4 year old to get access to a pistol. All of my firearms are under my direct control or under lock and key.

I believe as a society we must punish wrongdoers. Failure to do so makes us accomplices to their actions. It doesn't matter how sorry or heart broken the perpetrators are.

[tman]

It doesn't matter how sorry or heart broken the perpetrators are.

UNTIL it happens to you.

[goett047]

It doesn't matter how sorry or heart broken the perpetrators are.

UNTIL it happens to you.

Exactly

[goett047]

It doesn't matter how sorry or heart broken the perpetrators are.

UNTIL it happens to you.

Exactly

[20mm]

It doesn't matter how sorry or heart broken the perpetrators are.

UNTIL it happens to you.

Until what happens to me? Until someone I know does something legally wrong and has to face the consequences of their actions?

[tman]

Until what happens to me? Until someone I know does something legally wrong and has to face the consequences of their actions?

Sure. We can start there. Got kids? What happens when one of them does something negligent like this, or maybe drives drunk and kills someone in an accident.

Just gonna write them off as a-holes?

[Heffay]

Until what happens to me? Until someone I know does something legally wrong and has to face the consequences of their actions?

Sure. We can start there. Got kids? What happens when one of them does something negligent like this, or maybe drives drunk and kills someone in an accident.

Just gonna write them off as a-holes?

Well, the apple... trees... can't remember exactly how that goes again.

[20mm]

I'm not going to support them if that's what you're getting to. I don't have kids, but if my brother allowed his kids to hurt themselves using his firearms he can go burn in hell as far as I'm concerned.

I'm sure his wife would agree with me.

[goett047]

Because there is no such thing as an accident.