Texas Boy, 5, Shoots Down 800-Pound Alligator

Friday, October 02, 2009

Texas-born Simon Hughes, 5, doesn’t look intimidating. But put a gun in his hands and pit him against an 800-pound alligator and it’s a different story.
Simon's been training to handle a gun since he was just 4, his dad told MyFOXHouston — and it's a good thing, too, or else he could've gotten hurt by the mega-gator that wound up on the Hughes family ranch.
The huge alligator bit into a baited hook in a marsh on the property, coming face-to-face with Simon. The boy reacted with lightning speed, grabbing his gun and shooting the reptile in the head. more at link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,559103,00.html

Good lord!!

This statement by his dad sums it up !!

His dad Scott Hughes said there's a reason he started training his son, who is in kindergarten, to shoot guns at such an early age.

"Everything on the ranch will either bite you or stick you," he told MyFOXHouston.

That kid is precious! LOL over his nickname "Gator bait" I bet he will have that nickname all his life.

I am glad he used the gun in a responsible way, and I hope he continues to be safe.

OK, this is an interesting story, but I don't for a moment consider the boy or the family heros. I have a lot of questions and comments.

Questions?
1) why was the boy checking the aligator traps/ or hanging out near aligator traps?
2) why was the boy carrying a gun - let alone a loaded gun?
3) where were the responsible adults? Oh yeah, they were witnesses. So did they tell him it was ok to shoot the gator?

Comments:
1) The gator was already captured in a trap. These traps are hung high so that small alligators can't get the meat. If you are going to catch something, you know it is going to be big.
2) The gator was already captured. It's not like the boy was walking across their farm and a gator came up on him.

I'm seeing nothing but a bunch of good ol' boys that have no problem letting kids hang out with loaded guns.

If I was that boys mother I would of shot his dad and hide him inside the 800 pound Alligator Then you guys would be looking over my myspace talking about the crazy tattoo'ed friend I have, wondering if she had something to do with his status of missing person.:innocent:

I dont like to think of a child that young handling a gun but in this case I guess it was good that he knew how to shoot or he wouldnt be here.