Wow, unreal. Luckily, this could not happen in Europe.

[font="helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "]http://news.sky.com/story...2-with-childrens-rifle


J

So sad.  Regardless of the issues this might raise, this is tragic. 

Tragic indeed.

As to the circumstances, words fail me.

I'm no gun expert, but isn't that rifle a single-shot bolt-action? Meaning it's not likely you'd ever accidentally load a round without knowing it. Even if you're 5 years old. 
I don't care if it's Kentucky or California, that's a clear case of parental negligence.

bitflipper


I'm no gun expert, but isn't that rifle a single-shot bolt-action? Meaning it's not likely you'd ever accidentally load a round without knowing it. Even if you're 5 years old. 
I don't care if it's Kentucky or California, that's a clear case of parental negligence.

It was already that when they bought the gun.   
 
(......cue the guns aren't dangerous brigade)

Regardless of political insinuations ...very sad indeed.

Yeah.  Personally, I would never give a child that age a gun. 

In my family when I grew up, we had a few rifles.  They were stored unloaded.  No one ever "played" with them.  We would take them to a safe place (no people or animals we cared about), set up targets, and (with direct parental supervision) have some target practice.  Basic gun safety was always lesson one.  We respected the weapon as well as the damage it could cause and we never took it lightly.

I cannot imagine the pain and heartbreak this family is experiencing now.  No matter who was at fault, I cannot grasp the depth of their pain.  I cannot imagine how that five year old must feel right now.  Heartbreaking.

As unbelievable as it might seem here in 2013, there are still plenty of misguided dimwits who, at least where I come from, do this kind of thing on an all too regular basis. 5 years old. 5 friggin years old.

Irony alert: if I'm not mistaken that weapon is called "The Cricket" and is marketed specifically for kids.  

I took note of the line that the 5 year-old was given the gun the year before...

What's wrong with a nice Nerf gun until you at least start elementary school?

You guys just don't get it:

Pink Crickett to the rescue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiiQQP4-Ijw




The family says "they know one of the suspects, and they think that the suspects wanted to steal their guns"


That explains it.



best regards,
mike