Uncle shoots nephew in tragedy while showing off laser sight on pistol.

[blankslate]

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140504/NEWS/140509932

An 11-year old boy, looking at guns with his cousin and uncle, was shot and killed in Pike County Saturday afternoon. His uncle has been charged with criminal homicide.

Last, he took out a Glock 27 .40-caliber handgun that has a laser sight. Olm said there was no magazine in it, but he did not work the action to check or clear it.

He was holding the pistol and showing the boys the laser on the ceiling and the wall.

Then, Olm pointed the laser at his nephew.

One of the boys (Olm could not recollect which one, according to court papers) said: “Look, you have a red dot on your forehead.”

His nephew reached out for the gun and Olm pulled the trigger.

The gun went off.

It's a tragedy that shouldn't have happened but did because the gun owner violated cardinal rules on the handling of firearms.

Only point one at something (or in what one hopes isn't necessary someone) you intend to shoot.

Always treat a firearm as if it is loaded.

As it isn't a shooting in a public place, the media probably won't latch on to this story but for fuck's sake people should stop letting themselves get complacent about the firearms they own.



......

 

[blake0812]

Ban all uncles!

 

[OCGuy]

Its a tragedy, but certainly not national news. Posting this type of story leads one to believe it is only for the sake of casting a negative light on guns in general.

In reality, it is exploiting this child's death for political purposes.

I highly doubt you saw the story and decided that making this thread would prevent someone from accidentally discharging a firearm.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

It's a tragedy that shouldn't have happened but did because the gun owner violated cardinal rules on the handling of firearms.

Only point one at something (or in what one hopes isn't necessary someone) you intend to shoot.

Always treat a firearm as if it is loaded.

As it isn't a shooting in a public place, the media probably won't latch on to this story but for fuck's sake people should stop letting themselves get complacent about the firearms they own.
......

^ This

/thread

 

[blankslate]

I highly doubt you saw the story and decided that making this thread would prevent someone from accidentally discharging a firearm.

The point is simple.

Don't get fucking complacent if you own firearms.


If you want to read anything else into it that's on you.


I own two firearms a rifle and a pistol. So go pound sand.



....

 

[Newell Steamer]

This is terrible.

Then, Olm pointed the laser at his nephew.

Don't point your gun at anything you do not intend on shooting/killing.

And, always have the safety on.

I am not sure why anyone would risk taking out a gun, under any other conditions, when the intent is to just show it.

 

[brycejones]

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140504/NEWS/140509932

It's a tragedy that shouldn't have happened but did because the gun owner violated cardinal rules on the handling of firearms.

Only point one at something (or in what one hopes isn't necessary someone) you intend to shoot.

Always treat a firearm as if it is loaded.

As it isn't a shooting in a public place, the media probably won't latch on to this story but for fuck's sake people should stop letting themselves get complacent about the firearms they own.

Sounds about right.

The charges he is facing sound about right as well.

 

[Kadarin]

Such amazing stupidity. I agree with the charges as well.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

This is terrible.

Don't point your gun at anything you do not intend on shooting/killing.

And, always have the safety on.

I am not sure why anyone would risk taking out a gun, under any other conditions, when the intent is to just show it.

No manual safeties on a Glock.

This case is awful and I fully endorse sending the uncle to prison for his stupidity.

 

[IGemini]

Don't point your gun at anything you do not intend on shooting/killing.

And, always have the safety on.

I am not sure why anyone would risk taking out a gun, under any other conditions, when the intent is to just show it.

Glocks generally don't have a manual safety...just saying.

There's a strong show-and-tell element in the firearm world. It's something I enjoy, but I'm an adult who makes sure to do my own load check before handling any firearm. Risk is mitigated by practicing proper safety...something this guy clearly didn't do. Criminal homicide sounds about right.

 

[KB]

I support the charges. The uncles stupidity is so high he is a danger to the rest of society.

 

[moonbogg]

Complacency is so fucking deadly. You really think you are safe and the next instant someone you love is dead. This is among the worst things the world lets us do to ourselves.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Stupid, preventable tragedy. I am not in favor of guns, but I am mature enough to realize that they are not going anywhere, and it's part of our Constitution. HOWEVER, this idiot did not store his weapons properly and ASSUMED the gun was not loaded.
I have no idea how he's coping with this, I'm guessing he's probably wishing he were dead rather than his nephew.
I guess a trigger lock would have been a nice addition to the safety precautions in this case as well.

 

[trenchfoot]

Its a tragedy, but certainly not national news. Posting this type of story leads one to believe it is only for the sake of casting a negative light on guns in general.

In reality, it is exploiting this child's death for political purposes.

I highly doubt you saw the story and decided that making this thread would prevent someone from accidentally discharging a firearm.

Wow. You know, some folks deserve that kind of suspicious skepticism, but Blankslate ain't one of them. Go get a nice icy cold frothy tall one and enjoy the scenery outside your window. It does wonders for the soul.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

There's a strong show-and-tell element in the firearm world. It's something I enjoy, but I'm an adult who makes sure to do my own load check before handling any firearm. Risk is mitigated by practicing proper safety...something this guy clearly didn't do. Criminal homicide sounds about right.

When I hand a gun to someone, I make a point of not only clearing it but showing them that it's clear. I show them even if they don't know, without me telling them, what they are looking at, both because I want us both to be confident that they can safely handle and, if desirable for training purposes, dry-fire it.

Any magazine-fed weapon is only safe if the chamber is confirmed to be clear, but frankly Glocks (at least Gen 3 and Gen 4 ones) are fairly helpful in this respect, since they have a visible/tactile indicator on the extractor to demonstrate whether there is a round in the chamber. It's easy to see and feel it as long as you are looking for it. Of course, I would never be handling a gun, particularly not in the presence of kids, without manually clearing the chamber as well, and even if I was certain it was clear I would never point it at another person, much less someone's forehead.

 

[theeedude]

I don't own a gun, but I took a gun safety class at a range a few years back. They specifically mentioned to make sure that there is no bullet in the chamber, keep the finger off the trigger, and to not point the gun at anyone because it could go off. I think the instructor also said something along the lines of guns not being a toy, but I don't remember for sure. I think the uncle is overdue for a refresher course.

 

[Orignal Earl]

My heart goes out to this poor man and his family

I knew a foreman who was insane about safety. If he caught a guy just once not following a rule they were fired
His crew was up on the roof doing the cedar shingles
One of his guys needed a tool that he had in his pouch, and neither of them could reach each other because of their safety lines.
Twenty foot distance between the two of them
Would of took probably five extra minutes to properly pass the tool
It was a Friday, at the of long hot day
He unclicked, took three steps and was gone.
A blink of an eye

 

[Londo_Jowo]

I had a neighbor that learned the hard way, he blew off his big toe with what he thought was an unloaded rifle.

My father reinforced his gun safety talks using this as an example on how to treat every gun or rifle as being loaded until it has be proven to be clear. He reminded my brothers, sister, and myself of this incident many times as we handled guns and rifles over the years.

 

[FerrelGeek]

No manual safeties on a Glock.

This case is awful and I fully endorse sending the uncle to prison for his stupidity.

This. Another cardinal rule of gun safetly - never relay on your safety as it may fail. When I show anyone my Glock, I remove the mag (and I always make sure the mag is empty anyway) and I lock the slide open to ensure there is no round in play. As well as following all the other cardinal rules.

 

[BoberFett]

Why would you point your gun at someone? With your finger on the trigger?

I'm not convinced this was an accident.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Its a tragedy, but certainly not national news. Posting this type of story leads one to believe it is only for the sake of casting a negative light on guns in general.

In reality, it is exploiting this child's death for political purposes.

I highly doubt you saw the story and decided that making this thread would prevent someone from accidentally discharging a firearm.

So you read the topic and all you saw was politics?

 

[WHAMPOM]

Pick up a firearm, check the chamber.
Pick up a firearm, check the chamber.
Do I have to repeat?

 

[WackyDan]

The point is simple.

Don't get fucking complacent if you own firearms.


If you want to read anything else into it that's on you.


I own two firearms a rifle and a pistol. So go pound sand.



....

The problem isn't that he got complacent... But that he was never actually proficient in handling them in the first place.

Not sure how we solve for that one.

 

[Dman8777]

Can you imagine having to tell your brother/sister that you shot their kid at point blank range in the head? That has got to be the worst feeling in the world.

 

[rudder]

My heart goes out to this poor man and his family

I knew a foreman who was insane about safety. If he caught a guy just once not following a rule they were fired
His crew was up on the roof doing the cedar shingles
One of his guys needed a tool that he had in his pouch, and neither of them could reach each other because of their safety lines.
Twenty foot distance between the two of them
Would of took probably five extra minutes to properly pass the tool
It was a Friday, at the of long hot day
He unclicked, took three steps and was gone.
A blink of an eye

You can never be too careful, but you can be careless one too many times. Applies to flying as well.