7th highest rate of accidental child shootings

[lonehoosier]

Please be responsible with your firearms.

Indiana has 7th highest rate of accidental child shootings
Indiana has 7th highest rate of accidental child shootings | Indiana | nwitimes.com

 

[Kirk Freeman]

In before "eet iz meye rye-eet to endanger chil-ren"!

 

[lonehoosier]

In before "eet iz meye rye-eet to endanger chil-ren"!

Unfortunately I know some people that think that way. One of things that drive's me nuts that I hear is I can't afford safe, but yet you own 10+ firearms. Here's a novel idea sell one and buy safe.

 

[HoughMade]

I can't vouch for the accuracy of the stats, but I would expect that the rate of accidental shootings would have a close relationship to the rate of gun ownership. If you have 5 million gun owners and only 1% are lax with their securing of weapons and training their children, that's still 50,000 mopes...which means the actual rate is probably well under 1%.

Secure your weapons, train your children. You have to expose the kids to guns so that you can teach the proper respect for them and that safety is the #1 priority. Take the mystery and "forbidden fruit" aspect out of it, and replace it with healthy respect and proper safety instruction.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Education is the key, but until you get them trained up you have to secure them.

THEN they can use firearms for science fairs.

 

[lonehoosier]

I can't vouch for the accuracy of the stats, but I would expect that the rate of accidental shootings would have a close relationship to the rate of gun ownership. If you have 5 million gun owners and only 1% are lax with their securing of weapons and training their children, that's still 50,000 mopes...which means the actual rate is probably well under 1%.

Secure your weapons, train your children. You have to expose the kids to guns so that you can teach the proper respect for them and that safety is the #1 priority. Take the mystery and "forbidden fruit" aspect out of it, and replace it with healthy respect and proper safety instruction.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[HoughMade]

Science fairs are fine, but I prefer using how my kids shoot to shame grown men who complain about the recoil of a 30-30...which my 11 year old finds delightful to shoot.

 

[Hohn]

Education is the key, but until you get them trained up you have to secure them.

THEN they can use firearms for science fairs.

Agreed. My kids are well-aware of the four rules, and Dad's FIFTH RULE: Never, ever, ever, ever touch. (except when I hand it to you)

I grew up in small towns where having a loaded shotgun behind the front door was common, not rare. Then again, our local Coast to Coast sold ammo by the round because lots of people didn't think they needed a whole box.


I think locking up handguns is more important than long guns. Overwhelmingly, child accidents I'm sure are mostly with handguns. I'm totally cool with a shotgun over a doorway or a rifle stashed behind a door. (especially unloaded, but let's hope it's not part of a home defense plan)

The bigger concern I'd have is not about my kids, it's about other people's kids or other people at my house. Regardless how well educated and trained my kids are, is it possible a playmate might get curious and go snooping around? Yes, even if unlikely.

So I prevent that by securing my firearms. It's not that I don't trust my kids. It's that I can't control everything in my life.

 

[Tactically Fat]

I am going to pick a nit:

At what age should we consider the cut-off age of a child?

SOME 13-17 year olds work all day long in the fields & farms driving vehicles / operating heavy equipment.

16 year olds can generally drive legally on their own.

17 year olds can enlist in the military, correct?

Ages of consent are somewhere in the 16-17 years old range in the overwhelming majority of states.

So it's possible that the State can deem a 17 year old legally and mentally competent to drive a vehicle on all public roads, competent to operate heavy farm machinery safely in order to generate revenue for a family business, be legally, mentally, and morally competent to enlist in the US armed forces, AND legally, mentally, and morally be on the right side of things should they choose to engage in pre-marital sexual behavior... But suddenly that 17 year old is a "child" in the case of this study. That shouldn't be the case.

I'd like to see the breakdown of the AGES of all of these children used in the study. There may very well be several that should not be counted due to their age even though they are still minors.

 

[HoughMade]

No one knows that better than a parent who is paying attention.

My kids started shooting "real" guns around 7 with proper supervision. My oldest son had his own .22 rifle that he has kept (properly secured) in his own room since about age 14. He is 19 now. My 11 year old has his own 30-30, but that is properly secured by me under my control. There is no bright line for me- case by case, kid by kid analysis.

and as an aside, when I step up to a new caliber/new gun I load one round only until I am sure the child is handling the gun properly. That one move alone would have saved a few lives across the country.

 

[Hookeye]

Wonder how much of that data incorporates young thugs blasting each other during "show and tell" and other "games"?

IIRC anybody under 20 is a kid (maybe even a higher age).

I got my first firearm in 2nd grade, and my first handgun in 5th grade. Stored in my room, ammo too.
I never go out in the garage and fondle wrenches, or other tools, and same with guns. Clean em, work on em, use them.........but if not that, then leave them be...........less chance of dinging or rusting them up.

 

[CraigAPS]

I am going to pick a nit:

At what age should we consider the cut-off age of a child?

SOME 13-17 year olds work all day long in the fields & farms driving vehicles / operating heavy equipment.

16 year olds can generally drive legally on their own.

17 year olds can enlist in the military, correct?

Ages of consent are somewhere in the 16-17 years old range in the overwhelming majority of states.

So it's possible that the State can deem a 17 year old legally and mentally competent to drive a vehicle on all public roads, competent to operate heavy farm machinery safely in order to generate revenue for a family business, be legally, mentally, and morally competent to enlist in the US armed forces, AND legally, mentally, and morally be on the right side of things should they choose to engage in pre-marital sexual behavior... But suddenly that 17 year old is a "child" in the case of this study. That shouldn't be the case.

I'd like to see the breakdown of the AGES of all of these children used in the study. There may very well be several that should not be counted due to their age even though they are still minors.

While everything that you said is correct, a "child" is typically anyone who has not yet reached the age of 18. Until 18, one cannot drive with passengers, vote, buy nicotine products, and legally own a firearm, among other things I'm sure I'm forgetting. I believe that the study uses 18 as a threshold due to these sorts of restrictions on those under 18. Moreover, as HM stated about his own children (case by case, kid by kid), there are some children who can understand the severity of improperly handling a firearm while others cannot. I'm the sure the same can be said about operating heavy machinery, et al. If one has to draw a line, and obviously there has to be a cutoff, then the "tried and true" 18 will usually be the end of childhood and beginning of adulthood, maturity notwithstanding.

 

[Hookeye]

Honestly, I hate these feel good BS PSA types of posts.

If somebody is that freakin' careless do you think that they're gonna read your post and suddenly become enlightened?

My guess is the data skewed, and even those of legit.............you're gonna see it broken down by 2 maybe 3 main demographics.

And I bet those don't play on INGO.

Oh yeah, it's Friday..............don't drink and drive.

My arse.

 

[Hookeye]

You can own firearms before 18, just can't buy new ones.

 

[HoughMade]

...Until 18, one cannot drive with passengers

Yes, they can. At age 17 if you got your license at 16 1/2, and there are no restrictions as to immediate family from the time they get the license.

legally own a firearm,

Yes, they can.

 

[Hohn]

No one knows that better than a parent who is paying attention.

My kids started shooting "real" guns around 7 with proper supervision. My oldest son had his own .22 rifle that he has kept (properly secured) in his own room since about age 14. He is 19 now. My 11 year old has his own 30-30, but that is properly secured by me under my control. There is no bright line for me- case by case, kid by kid analysis.

and as an aside, when I step up to a new caliber/new gun I load one round only until I am sure the child is handling the gun properly. That one move alone would have saved a few lives across the country.

Wisdom ^^. Especially the "load one" advice.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen the second round cause the problems. DW shot my G22 as the only gun she ever shot, not sure why she got the urge to try it. I foolishly loaded a full mag, not expecting her to freak and panic after the first round. She freaks, and was able to secure the weapon before she sweeps me and everything around us with finger on trigger. I was truly scared for my life for a brief instant. There's not that much that scares me.

I learned the value of "load one" in a way I'll never forget.

I follow that practice very carefully now.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Science fairs are fine . . . .

Ok, ok, I'll post it, but only because you asked for it.

Noah Freeman, age 9 (Randolph Co., Indiana):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKo351YwRoQ

 

[HoughMade]

Ok, ok, I'll post it, but only because you asked for it.

Noah Freeman, age 9 (Randolph Co., Indiana):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKo351YwRoQ

I was that video's second "thumbs up"- deserves more.

 

[russc2542]

No one knows that better than a parent who is paying attention.

My kids started shooting "real" guns around 7 with proper supervision. My oldest son had his own .22 rifle that he has kept (properly secured) in his own room since about age 14. He is 19 now. My 11 year old has his own 30-30, but that is properly secured by me under my control. There is no bright line for me- case by case, kid by kid analysis.

and as an aside, when I step up to a new caliber/new gun I load one round only until I am sure the child is handling the gun properly. That one move alone would have saved a few lives across the country.

I acknowledge the law needs to be clear and specific but it's also completely arbitrary. The problem is that some kids are mature and trained while I've known people several times that age barely competent to walk and talk simultaneously.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I acknowledge the law needs to be clear and specific but it's also completely arbitrary.

Ok, I'll bite. What do you point to that is arbitrary?