Accidental shooting of 8 year-old stresses need for safety training

[SecularMotion]

CEDAR FALLS (KWWL) -

The Black Hawk County Sheriff is stressing the need for proper firearm training following an accident at a Cedar Falls gun range.

Eight-year-old David Young suffered a gunshot wound to the head Monday while taking part in target practice at the Black Hawk Park gun range. A source close to the investigation confirmed with us -- the gun was in the hands of Young's five-year-old sister.

Monday night, Young was transferred to the Brain Trauma Center at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. A hospital representative contacted Tuesday afternoon could not confirm his current condition.

Park supervisors re-opened the gun range to the public Tuesday, and several people showed up for target practice. James Heiselman was among them. He shot his first gun when he was nine years old, and passed the tradition on to his children.

http://www.kwwl.com/story/19956702/accidental-shooting-of-8-year-old-brings-safety-reminder

[msongs]

1. not an accident - caused by stupid adults playing with dangerous toys nt

[Eleanors38]

16. Correction: Guns are not toys.

[slackmaster]

2. Five is usually too young for a person to have internalized the rules of safe firearm handling

My brother did fine at age six, but he's exceptional in many ways.

[Glaug-Eldare]

3. Safety training which is opposed by gun controllers

[Logical]

5. I think parents with guns need to train their kids. Not the schools.

[petronius]

6. Why not schools too? Kids whose parents don't own guns may still encounter them

at the homes of others - or even in the street - and would benefit from some basic safety advice, lumped in with all the other 'life-skills' training presented in schools.

Five is too young, though; this was purely a parental (or other supervisory) fail...

[Logical]

7. The schools DO NOT train the following.....

Using ladders
Swimming
Using Chain Saws
Using Power Tools
Climbing Trees
And most not even drivers training anymore

And kids are much more likely to encounter those items than they are guns.

[petronius]

9. And yet schools do teach a slew of life skills - sex ed, and health, and drug

awareness come to mind. And, kids are more likely to encounter a firearm in an 'irresponsible behavior' sort of setting than they are a power tool, so it makes more sense to include basic gun safety in those life skills modules.

But personally, I would not exclude shop, home ec, and drivers ed from schools either...

[Logical]

11. Many kids never use a gun growing up. And we all know gun accidents kill very few kids! Swimming....

kills many more and schools do not teach swimming.

[petronius]

12. Swimming should certainly be included in PE, IMO - actually, that's one of the first

things I'd choose if I could specify the list of life skills a kid should leave school with. But I'd include basic firearm safety knowledge as well...

[Logical]

13. I see your point. Many parents would throw a fit I am sure. Too emotional.

[petronius]

14. It is something that I would think should be a parental opt-out activity; outside of the

core academic curriculum, I'm in favor of some parental involvement/choice (I'm really not sure where I'd draw the "No you can't opt out!" line)...

[Logical]

15. Opting out would be a good idea. But offering it would not be a bad thing at all!

[4th law of robotics]

20. Many school age kids never drink, smoke, do drugs, have sex

and the like.

We still go over those things in health class.

[Logical]

21. Health class? Now you want power tools, swimming and guns taught in Health Class??

[4th law of robotics]

22. No, those were examples

You could learn about that in English class.

How about we have all sorts of classes reaching all sorts of things?

Do you have a specific reason for thinking ignorance is preferable?

[Logical]

23. Yes, no time to do it. How about a voluntary class offered on weekends for parents who want....

to use it?

[AtheistCrusader]

24. Our sex ed didn't teach us anything important...

like foreplay or any of that.

[slackmaster]

18. Schools most definitely taught the use of power tools when I was a kid

Wood shop, metal shop, etc.

[PavePusher]

26. Many (maybe most?) rural schools teach all or much of that list.

Last edited Thu Nov 8, 2012, 04:22 PM - Edit history (1)

Most of them still have shop/"industrial arts", FFA, etc.

[4th law of robotics]

19. I think parents should teach kids about safe sex

often they don't.

We're better off as a society if we teach them about it in school as well. At worst they hear the same things twice.

[PavePusher]

4. Dunno about "safety training" in this instance...

but almost certainly parental supervision was faulty/lacking.

I sure hope the poor kid makes it through without any permenent disability.

[ileus]

8. Safety first when on the range....just like kids

everywhere you never know when they're just gonna take off.

Last Friday we were shooting the crossbow in the back yard. I'd just turned over control of the bow to my 8yo. His friend 7 that was taking turns shooting just ran right in front of him. I spoke to them both for a good 8 minutes before we resumed shooting.

When at the range with our family firearms I make the non shooting kid(s) sit down. I was careless last Friday and neglected my own "kids" don't move rule.

[petronius]

10. Uh oh - looks like you've gotten your one-strike, so you're out!

For convenience, go ahead and box up your firearms and ship them to me; I'll take care of the proper disposal...

[freedomboogie]

17. Who give the fiver year old sister

the gun?

Arrest them!

[jbgood1977]

25. Firearm safety training should be a required course in our public schools.

I'm thinking elementary at the start of it, but it should progress throughout the school hierarchy.