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Subject: Sad story
http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?sid=59312&nid=5
Apparent Accidental Shooting Kills Three Year Old
Nov. 18, 2003
Karen Scullin Reporting
A West Valley City family faces the horror of finding one child dead at the hand of another today. Police say a four-year old playing with his mother's gun accidentally shot and killed his three-year old brother.
Police say the mother was in her bedroom sleeping, the boys were playing in a front room. It's unclear exactly when the gun went off because the mother claims she never heard a shot. Medical help came right away, but it was too late.
Police say the four-year old boy got a hold of his mother's gun, then shot and killed his three-year old brother. Police say the four-year old actually found the key to the gun safe, unlocked it, and got his mother's weapon. His mother who works nights as a security guard, apparently slept through the whole thing and never heard the shot.
Capt. Steve Sandquist, West Valley City Police: “The keys were close to where the child was found. It appears they were playing. There was a cap gun, and some play guns around the house, and it appears the children might have been just playing guns as kids do. "
Neighbors in the area were saddened. Many had been worried about the children, who they felt were sometimes left unattended. The mother worked nights and the father daytimes.
Adam Walker, Neighbor: “We saw them wandering out in front of their house several times. My girlfriend took them to the front door a couple of times because they were wandering in the middle of the street."
Dorothy Martinez, Neighbor: “She would lock the gates and the little ones would just climb the fence and run out into the middle of the road, as little as they were."
The state Division of Children and Family Services confirmed social workers did visit the family a couple of times after complaints the children were left unsupervised. After an investigation no action was taken.
As this just happened today there are still lots of stories around. One station says the 4 year old didn't wake up his mom for a couple of hours. I feel so bad for him.
As for the mom, why in the world is she sleeping in the bedroom when her 4 and 3 year old are playing in the front room? To me it is neglect. >:(
Subject: Re: Sad story
I also believe this is neglect. Poor kid... :( :'(
Subject: Re: Sad story
:'(
Subject: Re: Sad story
I know the gun was locked away in a safe, but did it need to be loaded?
Subject: Re: Sad story
Quoting:
I know the gun was locked away in a safe, but did it need to be loaded?
End Quote
Absolutely not. Gun owners, especially parents, are pretty much beaten over the head to keep their guns and ammunition in separate storage areas.
Subject: Re: Sad story
:(
I feel bad for the 4-year-old. It wasn't his fault, but he's still going to feel horrible for killing his brother even though it was really the mother who caused it. Good mothering skills--NOT >:(.
Subject: Re: Sad story
What a tragedy.
Subject: Re: Sad story
Quoting:
As for the mom, why in the world is she sleeping in the bedroom when her 4 and 3 year old are playing in the front room? To me it is neglect. >:(
End Quote
Depends: habitually sleeping while your children are otherwise unsupervised is one thing; falling asleep through overtiredness because you've been trying to do too much with young children and a job to hold down is quite another - I've nodded off a dozen times or more over the years, especially before we found out my son had a milk allergy and it would take best part of an hour to get him off to sleep and he'd wake up again less than an hour later. Having lived with that for three months (it felt like years, believe me), I have a lot of sympathy for sleep-deprived parents.
Must admit it doesn't surprise me that a four-year-old could find a key, unlock a cabinet and take out a gun - the biggest oversight to me seems not to unload the thing: without wanting to prejudge this, ISTM exactly the sort of thing an overtired person returning from work might overlook.
Tragic, indeed.
Phil
Subject: Re: Sad story
This is truely a sad story...it's too bad that both parents worked around the clock and couldn't manage child care a bit better. I realize that not everyone can do this but for my family...I stayed home with the boys when they were very young and then worked later while my ex stayed home. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to raise them if not for the simple fact that you never get time back with them...those years go by and they're gone. I hope and pray for them all..especially the 4 year old :'(