OT - Range facing charges

[Ysabel Kid]

Well, it was likely to happen.

http://www.gunreports.com/news/news/Wes ... :&st=email

I couldn't find the original post here, but we discussed the accident at length.

This isn't going to bring back the kid. It is just another attack on gun owners and the places we shoot...

[Charles]

Doesn't look like an attack on guns or gun owners to me. Looks like a fellow doing his job and enforcing existing laws on some numb nut idiots who broke the law and some kid paid for it with his life. I don't understand the thinking that makes folks want to take the side of fools under the guise of standing up for "gun rights". It is fools like these that cause sportsmen and law abiding gun owners grief and fuel the anti-gun crowds politics. We don't do our cause any good by standing up for these kinds of folks.

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime!

[Ysabel Kid]

My understanding - a father takes his son to a range, where full automatic fire is available. The father puts the gun in his son's hands. The accident happens. Stupid all the way around, but why support a stupid law just to look "reasonable"? The law should not take the place of parental responsibility, and the father should have known his son could not handle a fully-automatic sub machinegun.

When my son fired one at 9 years old, we put three rounds in it at a time, to add additional safety to what was going on. I was also confident that after a lot of shooting, he was ready and could handle it. Finally I hovered over him like a hawk just to be sure. He loved the experience. We don't have that kind of idiotic law here, and if we did I would have still ignored it. Sheep may follow such laws, but free and responsible men should not!

[Griff]

Hmmm... could you be prosecuted for providing ammo to your 15yo for deer hunting with you? From my reading of the comments by the prosecutor, the law could be so interpreted. Simply seems intent on making the circumstances fit the letter of the law.

[Ysabel Kid]

Mark my words, this will be a common attack under the Obama administration. Just doing it to "protect the children" from the "right-wing gun fanatics" clinging to God and guns that risk their own kids.

Of course, the real goal will be to keep youngsters from taking up shooting long enough to get them well into the government schools and thoroughly brainwashed to be anti-gun.

[JustaJeepGuy]

When my son fired one at 9 years old, we put three rounds in it at a time...

That's the thing I've been wondering about. Anyone who knows someone has never fired a FA firearm shouldn't let them have at it with a full magazine. Did the people putting on this event take that precaution or not? I'm guessing not.

[kirkwood]

Hmmm... could you be prosecuted for providing ammo to your 15yo for deer hunting with you? From my reading of the comments by the prosecutor, the law could be so interpreted. Simply seems intent on making the circumstances fit the letter of the law.

Why not actually look at the rest of this law before making assumptions:

"Nothing in this section or section one hundred and thirty-one E shall be construed to prohibit a parent or guardian from allowing his child or ward, who has not attained age fifteen, the supervised use of a rifle or shotgun or ammunition therefor, according to the provisions of section one hundred and twenty-nine C, nor from furnishing such child or ward, who has attained age fifteen, with a rifle or shotgun that is not a large capacity weapon or ammunition; provided, however, that said child or ward, being fifteen years of age or older, has been issued a valid firearm identification card or alien permit to possess a rifle or shotgun which is in his possession. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an instructor from furnishing rifles or shotguns or ammunition therefor to pupils; provided, however, that said instructor has the consent of a parent or guardian of a pupil under the age of eighteen years. "

[Pete44ru]

I'm sorry, but this is NOT an attack on gun owners or gun rights.

It's a counter-attack on macho gun idiots, who KNEW better, but didn't DO better - and as a result of their actions and inactions, a youngster is dead.

I hope they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

.

[Charles]

" Sheep may follow such laws, but free and responsible men should not!" Ysabel Kid

Kid... "free" and "responsible" are not synonymous terms. Some folks are free and irresponsible. Some are free and stupid. In the days of yore when such "free men" became a menace to the community they were tied to a tree and whipped for a lesson, perhaps driven out of town or even hung from a nearby tree. Today the police and DA clean the community of free fools and idiots. Nobody is every free to kill others through their recklessness. Which by the way is the culpable state of mind for the offense of Voluntary Manslaughter. Same ol..same ol.

[horsesoldier03]

I am a little torn on this issue. Never did like to ride both sides of the fence! Personnally, I feel the Range Safety that allowed the child to fire the gun (with a full clip) and was not prudent enough to foresee the childs lack of ability to control the firearm should as a minimum loose his current range safety certification. I do not see any criminal act that was performed; so as far as a lawsuit goes you would have a hard time to get me as a juror to award a monitary value. As far as the father goes, do you honestly think he will not regret this act the rest of his life.

It seems in todays world everyone is constantly ready to PROSECUTE everything.

Recently I was reading about the quick draw incident of Bill Jordan which resulted in the death of another peace officer. If that had happened today no doubt the officer would have been fired and probably seen jail time. However they closed the case and left it to be considered an unforeseenable accident. (Kind of sounds like what this may qualify as well)

It's best use is to serve as a constant reminder that we should always use the utmost safety when handling firearms, especially when we introduce our children to them.

That will end on a good note for me to close for the night as I prepare to take my daughter deer hunting tomorrow morning. She completed the hunter safety course this year and this is the first year we have purchased a tag of her own to fill.

[Ysabel Kid]

It is just another attack on gun owners and the places we shoot...

Guys, I agree that gun owners, range owners, range officers - any and all who are reckless are no friends of ours. What I said originally - and stand by - is that this is another attack on gun owners and were we shoot. The anti's will use it to attack us, and it isn't about justice for the boy, but just trying to advance their agenda.