- Jan 12, 2005
- 9,500
- 6
- 81
This website maintains statistics of accidental shootings by children. That's 209 publicly-reported shootings so far in 2015. According to the website, more than tw0-thirds (at least 140) of these shootings could have been prevented if guns kept in the home had been securely stored.
But of course that number - 209 - is a severe under-count. Because it's highly unlikely that anyone would report a shooting if they could possibly avoid it, considering the criminal liability involved. So what isn't being counted is the number of people who get shot by children but are only slightly injured, or who the bullet misses. And - of course - if a child plays with a loaded gun, but can't figure out how to release the safety or how to pull the trigger, those incidents are certainly NOT being publically reported.
So I'm going to claim that the 209 "publicly reported" (so far in 2015) incidents of people being injured or killed by accidental shootings by children actually represents thousands of incidents of children playing with loaded guns in the home. But you gun-owners have those guns in the home to protect your families, don't you? Well done.
But of course that number - 209 - is a severe under-count. Because it's highly unlikely that anyone would report a shooting if they could possibly avoid it, considering the criminal liability involved. So what isn't being counted is the number of people who get shot by children but are only slightly injured, or who the bullet misses. And - of course - if a child plays with a loaded gun, but can't figure out how to release the safety or how to pull the trigger, those incidents are certainly NOT being publically reported.
So I'm going to claim that the 209 "publicly reported" (so far in 2015) incidents of people being injured or killed by accidental shootings by children actually represents thousands of incidents of children playing with loaded guns in the home. But you gun-owners have those guns in the home to protect your families, don't you? Well done.
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