It is one of those almost unfathomable,
awful tragedies that is
the last thing newspapers want to
report.
An 8-year-old boy in Deposit was
shot to death Saturday afternoon.
Then it was revealed by the state
police that the little boy’s 12-yearold
brother had been arrested as
a juvenile delinquent for conduct
that would constitute the crime of
second-degree murder.
There was no adult around the
house on Neale Road when the
shooting occurred, an investigation
revealed.
Troopers said the 12-year-old
had retrieved a rifle from inside
the residence and discharged one
round.
That’s all it took, one bullet from
one rifle, allegedly in the hands of
a child who for whatever reason
ended the life of his little brother.
Maybe it was an accident, a kid
playing with a weapon he didn’t
know could do such harm.
Perhaps he was angry, lost his
temper and did it on purpose. Only
time will reveal all the facts.
What is not in dispute is that
a family is torn apart, lives have
been ruined and a child is dead.
People on both sides of the volatile
gun-control debate will most
certainly disagree when discussing
this horrible event, but there
is at least one thing that is beyond
dispute.
A child without adult supervision
should never have access to a
loaded firearm.
Toward that end, we offer this
item from the National Rifle Association’s
Gun Safety Rules:
Store guns so they are not accessible
to unauthorized persons.
Many factors must be considered
when deciding where and how to
store guns. A person’s particular
situation will be a major part of the
consideration. Dozens of gun storage
devices, as well as locking devices
that attach directly to the gun,
are available. However, mechanical
locking devices, like the mechanical
safeties built into guns, can fail and
should not be used as a substitute
for safe gun handling and the observance
of all gun safety rules.
We would like to think that this
would be a matter of common
sense, but the tragedy in Deposit is
sad evidence that it is not common
enough.
Somebody apparently left a loaded
rifle where a 12-year-old could
get at it, and then left two children
without an adult around.
This newspaper certainly has its
differences with the NRA and its
agenda, but we urge every parent
who feels the necessity of having a
gun in the house to at the very least
read the NRA’s “Parents’ Guide to
Gun Safety.” Here’s the Web address:
www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/
infoparents.asp.
It could help preserve a child’s
life.
