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Boy, 4, shoots mom with shotgun...

gogodawgs

gogodawgs

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Can a 4 year old even handle a shotgun? Something seems fishy about this story.​



Posted By Stacia Glenn on October 25, 2010 at 5:58 pm Share this
UPDATE: A 4-year-old boy shot and wounded his mother inside their South Kitsap home today, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office.
The 23-year-old woman was on the telephone with her back turned to her son when the boy loaded a shell into a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun and pulled the trigger.
She was struck in the left side and taken to Tacoma General Hospital. Deputy Scott Wilson said she was expected to be released tonight.
Sheriff’s detectives have ruled the incident, which occurred at 4:15 p.m. in the 10400 block of Glenwood Road Southwest, an accident although they are continuing to investigate.
The woman’s 2-year-old daughter was also in the home at the time of the shooting.
The mother told detectives she was unaware that her son had access to the shotgun. Her boyfriend, who is the boy’s father, allegedly gave the child a shotgun shell previously when the boy expressed curiosity about guns.
INITIAL POST: A woman was accidentally shot and wounded by her 4-year-old son today, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office.
KIRO-TV reports that the incident took place on Glennwood Road Southwest near the Burley-Ollala area just after 4 p.m.
Details about how the shooting happened have not been released.​
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amlevin

amlevin

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I agree. Something about this story does smell



Man%20holding%20nose.jpg



I spent many hours shooting a Remington 1100 (semi-auto shotgun) and to load it was not hard but somewhat complicated. Just releasing the bolt after putting a shell in the chamber requires a little effort. The length of most semi-auto shotguns is enough to make them unwieldy to most 4 year olds. I just don't see it happening as it was described.

At the very least this incident points out how some people are extremely careless with their firearms around young children. At the worst, my question would be "where was the boyfriend when this happened?????? (sorry, just my suspicious mind)
 
xxx.jakk.xxx

xxx.jakk.xxx

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Seems that the more likely case would be that the father left the shotgun loaded where the child could get it... That's just my take one it.
 
D

daddy4count

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I would be surprised, and a little bit impressed, if a 4 year old managed to not only load a cartridge but also rack the slide on a shotgun!?!?!

I can see how you might be able to teach a kid to do so... but mine could barely manage TV remotes and legos at 4 years.
 
amlevin

amlevin

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daddy4count said:
I would be surprised, and a little bit impressed, if a 4 year old managed to not only load a cartridge but also rack the slide on a shotgun!?!?!

I can see how you might be able to teach a kid to do so... but mine could barely manage TV remotes and legos at 4 years.
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For most semi-auto shotguns it's not a case of "racking the slide". The bolt has to be pulled back using a relatively small handle. When loading one for single shot, the shell has to be inserted from the ejection port and then the bolt has to be released. The method varies from model to model but for example, a Remington 1100 has a release "button" on the bottom of the action and it doesn't release all that easy. It requires a fair amount of pressure.

With this in mind, I would be more than impressed if the average 4 year old could do this, I would be amazed. Then again, there are some amazing 4 year olds out there. I still think there was something else in this case that is not revealed yet.
 
gogodawgs

gogodawgs

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Some follow up...

LINK

On Monday afternoon, the boy's father was away from the family's home in the 10400 block of Glenwood Road Southwest in South Kitsap County. While his mother was on the phone with her back toward him, the boy found an unloaded semiautomatic 12-gauge shotgun under a blanket on the bed, police said.
The bolt was pulled back and locked open, Wilson said. "All the kid did was drop the shell in the chamber, touch the bolt release and pull the trigger," Wilson said. "He had probably seen his dad do it a hundred times."
Wilson said the shotgun was still on the bed when it went off and that the boy did not lift it.
A chair that was between the mother and the shotgun absorbed some of the impact, possibly preventing greater injury, Wilson said.
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maclean

maclean

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I can see it happening with a kid that is good at "monkey see."

It sounds damn odd, but my oldest boy could have done it at 4 if he saw me do it twice.
 
amzbrady

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I would like to see them demonstrate with a 4 year old how that happened, given the size and wieght of the shotgun vs the size of the 4 year old. All without bouncing the barrel off the ground a few times not make a huge racket, or at least enough noise for the mom to hear it.

I wonder if they checked the kid for powder residue or the gun for prints?
 
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Squeak

Squeak

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Bookman said:
I don't have any kids at home, but this IS my next major firearm related purchase; hopefully before the end of the year.
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Get the kid to help you operate it so you don't have to read the instructions.:lol: Oops! Sorry!:banana::banana:
 
T

Trigger Dr

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I have 2 gun safes. One, an older safe is left unlocked with the door ajar. Inside is an old 16 ga singleshot that is completely inoperative, and cannot be made to fire. This is my "bait gun" in the event of a break in, this is what they will take. The other safe can be looked at directly, from as close as 6 feet, and you will never know you are looking at a safe.
 
J

Jeff Hayes

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Trigger Dr said:
I have 2 gun safes. One, an older safe is left unlocked with the door ajar. Inside is an old 16 ga singleshot that is completely inoperative, and cannot be made to fire. This is my "bait gun" in the event of a break in, this is what they will take. The other safe can be looked at directly, from as close as 6 feet, and you will never know you are looking at a safe.
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What was your address again, I seem to have misplaced it, LOL seriously I have several bait guns around that are broken hopefully that works.
 
D

Dave Workman

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Here's my take:

Accidental shooting triggers revival of ‘safe storage’ debate

A shooting mishap Monday in Kitsap County that left a 23-year-old mom wounded by shotgun pellets after her 4-year-old son managed to load a live round into a semi-auto shotgun lying on her bed is bound to set off a renewed push for “safe storage” legislation in Olympia when the Legislature convenes in January.

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-...oting-triggers-revival-of-safe-storage-debate

Or try this:

http://tinyurl.com/24hgthg
 
S

sirpuma

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I was 3 when I picked up my dad's S&W service revolver and pulled the trigger, double action (obviously holding it with two hands). If the boy had the shotgun on his lap while playing with it, the angle could have been just right.
 
H

Hammer

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I have a 4 YO granddaughter and if I were to allow her to watch me load my 1100, I don't doubt that after only a very few observations she could do it.
That said, she is already trained in the Eddie Eagle "Don't touch it, go tell an adult" style of firearms dealings. She's not afraid, just knows they can be dangerous and PaPa takes care of them. She may not. They are also all out of reach at this household.
It seems the child dropped a shell in the open chamber, hit the bolt release, and pulled the trigger, all without even picking up the shotgun.
Plenty of common sense rules broken here.
I'm sad for the family that has to learn this way. It was a preventable accident.
 
J

joeroket

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amzbrady said:
I would like to see them demonstrate with a 4 year old how that happened, given the size and wieght of the shotgun vs the size of the 4 year old. All without bouncing the barrel off the ground a few times not make a huge racket, or at least enough noise for the mom to hear it.

I wonder if they checked the kid for powder residue or the gun for prints?
Click to expand...

When my older son was 4 he could have done it no problem. Hell he pulled a door and frame on the studs at 3 1/2.
 
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