mistakesweremade 293 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 (CNN) -- A 3-year-old boy in a small Michigan town was killed over the weekend when he accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun he found on the closet floor of his home. The shooting death will undoubtedly renew the debate about gun safety, particularly after the boy's father took to Facebook calling for it. The incident took place Sunday at a home in Dundee, near the Ohio border. Police said Damon Holbrook discovered the gun, which belonged to a family friend who was living in the house. Authorities told CNN affiliate WXYZ that the family friend, Joshua Greenhill, had a concealed pistol license and he put the .40 caliber handgun in the closet. It was loaded, with a bullet in the chamber -- but was not locked. Three other children were in the house at the time. Greenhill, was charged with careless discharge of a firearm -- a misdemeanor which carries a sentence of up to 2 years in prison or a fine of $2,000. He didn't speak to reporters after his court appearance Monday. "We are working on a more serious charge at this time. We have not completed our investigation," Dundee police Chief David Uhl told reporters. "You have got to get more diligent with the guns. Be a lot safer with them." 'My boy would still be here' After the shooting, Damon's father, Brian Holbrook, posted this message on Facebook: "I have nothing wrong with guns it's with this country was built on. I will still support the Second Amendment. "All I ask is that everyone please, please safety first lock it up and put it out of reach of anyone that has no business being around a gun especially kids. "Gun safety people! My boy would still be here if it was put away like it should have been." In May, a southern Kentucky mother stepped outside her home just for a few minutes, but it was long enough for her 5-year-old son to accidentally shoot and kill his 2-year-old sister with the .22-caliber rifle he got for his birthday. In early April, a 4-year-old boy in Tennessee shot and killed a 48-year-old woman, and just days later, a 6-year-old boy was killed in New Jersey after being shot in the head by his 4-year-old playmate. Firearm deaths of kids rare But despite the recent incidents, accidental firearms deaths are rare among children. According to the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 703 children under the age of 15 died in accidental firearms deaths between 2001 and 2010, the latest year for which the agency's statistics on fatalities are available. During the same period, 7,766 children under the age of 14 suffered accidental firearms injuries -- about one injury for every million children. But statistics don't matter much if it's your child that's shot, said Missy Carson Smith, founder of Gun Safe Mom, a campaign to make the gun question as common as asking about food allergies, swimming pools and video game limits. "It just shreds your family," said Smith, whose own teenage brother died in a shooting. She started the campaign in 2009, after learning during a carpool trip that unsecured guns were in the home of a family where her daughter had played. "The kids knew where they were, they could get to it," she said. "That's when my heart just dropped in my stomach." CNN's Michael Pearson contributed to this report. (Source: CNN couldn't find it on BBC) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistakesweremade 293 Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 I couldn't make this fit under the quote and not look dumb for some reason. So double posting this. So here are my thoughts on this. A little bit of common sense would have prevented this poor kids death. The guy who owns the gun forgot the first things they teach you in range safety. Its that you treat your firearm as if its always loaded till you prove otherwise(even then you still treat it like its loaded). He took out the magazine but didn't ensure the chamber was clear and safety was engaged. He lucky hes isn't getting slapped with manslaughter charges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunface 3,496 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 thats sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Jung 19,680 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 oh my god RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
So-AH 14 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 :( So sad.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogre Shrek 8,980 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Wasn't going to comment on the issue of the right to bear arms, but this part caught my eye: In May, a southern Kentucky mother stepped outside her home just for a few minutes, but it was long enough for her 5-year-old son to accidentally shoot and kill his 2-year-old sister with the .22-caliber rifle he got for his birthday. A 5 year old kid getting a rifle as a birthday gift? Whichever side one may stand on the issue, this is beyond ridiculous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taku 1,254 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 This is fucked up. RIP little one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss nugu 244 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Kevin 2.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss nugu 244 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 So sad :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gayness 2,400 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Wasn't going to comment on the issue of the right to bear arms, but this part caught my eye: A 5 year old kid getting a rifle as a birthday gift? Whichever side one may stand on the issue, this is beyond ridiculous wtf is this shit. Toys weren't invented for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Evil Queen 4,273 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Couldn't they pin him with Reckless Endangerment as well ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red_knight 396 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 heaven had gained another angel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeRyuoHdaH 73 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 5'S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylight 1,132 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 this is upsetting RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingenting 1,781 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 So sad, poor little boy. RIP. According to the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 703 children under the age of 15 died in accidental firearms deaths between 2001 and 2010 703 children in 10 years. Thats makes it ~70 a year. That's more than one per week. And they say it's fucking rare? That's insane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistakesweremade 293 Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 So sad, poor little boy. RIP. 703 children in 10 years. Thats makes it ~70 a year. That's more than one per week. And they say it's fucking rare? That's insane! Its rare if you compare it to suicide or violent crimes involving firearms statistics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleViolets 177 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Poor thing. May you rest in peace little boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwertouché 2,897 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 RIP for that kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
✨ Ass Fat ✨ 9,598 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 omfg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingenting 1,781 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Its rare if you compare it to suicide or violent crimes involving firearms statistics. well, yeah. but children accidentaly being killed by firearms more than once a week on average isn't exactly what i would call rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grape Soda 12,004 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 this seems fishy to me. if any of you have ever held a gun, you would know they are rather heavy. and the gun was on the floor in a closet with the safety off? pointed it at his head and shot himself? the dad or whomever should go to jail for longer than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackjack4ever 123 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 This is sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AznGirl 127 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Rip to the little boy But the gun should have been in a higher place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistakesweremade 293 Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 this seems fishy to me. if any of you have ever held a gun, you would know they are rather heavy. and the gun was on the floor in a closet with the safety off? pointed it at his head and shot himself? the dad or whomever should go to jail for longer than that. They aren't that heavy, I mean the older ones made of heavy metal and wood have some weight to them but are made of polymer or stainless steel these days. They didn't say the make of the pistol but a .40 cal pistol made of steel is around 1.5-2 pounds depending if its unloaded or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kissung 325 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 They're tears in my eyes right now... R.I.P little one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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