MO - Megan Reppond, 14, shot to death at Neosho slumber party, 27 Dec 2010

[wfgodot]

Megan Reppond, obituary

 

[Garland]

Things like this is why I hate that ol' saying "Guns don't kill people, people kill people". Well, if the gun wasn't there and loaded the person would not have been killed!

Better yet, if the Gun owner was going to leave out his loaded gun in which children could easily have access to it, he should have at least had some sort of a Gun Lock put on it.

 

[wfgodot]

On the one-year anniversary of Megan's death, this article is well worth reading:

One year after teen’s death, family, friends honor victim of accidental shooting

---
But the best bit of healing, Reppond anticipates, will come on May 28 — Memorial Day — with the birth of her first grandchild, Woodward’s daughter, whose name was chosen in honor of Megan Reppond’s middle name.

“We’re pinning a lot of hope on this little Gracie. Not as a replacement, but as a place to pour our love,” Reppond said.

Megan’s friends have asked to step in to the aunt role in her stead.

“It has brought everyone together from all walks of life,” she said. “The community was so wonderful to us. Total strangers have called us and sent us books and cards. We’re all connected now, and I would never have dreamed that before.

“It’s like everything is playing out, and she’s watching over everything. That gives me strength.”

much more at Joplin Globe link above

 

[Quiche]

What an awful tragedy-- I see two lapses in judgement, but certainly no intent. I think the aftermath the rest of their lives will be punishment enough... and lesson enough to all those close to both of them.

(But, I have to ask myself-- wasn't the safety on, at least?) :waitasec:

 

[billisbobby]

Are people with guns ever going to act responsibly? I think the gun owner should have been charged and the girl who aimed the gun at the deceased girl should have been charged with a misdemeanor. She also imo should have been required to take some kind of class as part of her punishment.

Senseless death all because of an irresponsible gun owner and a kid who played with gun. imoo

Continue to RIP Megan.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Are people with guns ever going to act responsibly? I think the gun owner should have been charged and the girl who aimed the gun at the deceased girl should have been charged with a misdemeanor. She also imo should have been required to take some kind of class as part of her punishment.

Senseless death all because of an irresponsible gun owner and a kid who played with gun. imoo

Continue to RIP Megan.

From the link above:

Jake Skouby, prosecutor for Newton County, said there was no indication the owner of the gun had given it to the girls or had been displaying it in a manner that would have made it an attractive item for them to play with.
Though the weapon was left in a room where the girls were not expected to be, he noted that it is never a good idea to leave a loaded gun out in a home where there are children.

Investigators determined that the shooting was an accident and that the girl who pulled the trigger had no intention of harming her friend.

BBM

 

[Malapoo]

Leaving the gun out was negligent. You can teach YOUR children safety, but unless no outsiders ever come in your home, you still have an obligation to keep guns secured and out of sight. You should never assume guests will have the same safety training. Suppose your child is going through depression or tormenting at school and although they know about safety, they decide to end it all with that easily acessible gun?

Yes, we have guns but they're locked away and not loaded nor are the bullets in the same place. The "right to own" comes with a TON of responsibility that too many take too lightly.

 

[Tammy N]

This is really such a tragedy. What's yet another mind blowing thing, is that so many here want to rush to judgment and trial - we don't even know the actual full circumstances here - it 'appears' that the gun was left in a holster in a room that the kids generally are not supposed to enter - it's not as if the gun was just tossed out and left laying around as some are attempting to describe it. We don't know all the particulars, so there is no way to judge this one and start throwing stones. 14 year olds are getting ready to get their drivers permit - a car, imho, is a FAR more dangerous weapon than a gun - if she gets in that car and has an accident, killing someone, is that then excused because she didn't know better? This is a horrible horrible accident and I feel so sad for that girl and her family, for all the families involved.

 

[Nova]

This is really such a tragedy. What's yet another mind blowing thing, is that so many here want to rush to judgment and trial - we don't even know the actual full circumstances here - it 'appears' that the gun was left in a holster in a room that the kids generally are not supposed to enter - it's not as if the gun was just tossed out and left laying around as some are attempting to describe it. We don't know all the particulars, so there is no way to judge this one and start throwing stones. 14 year olds are getting ready to get their drivers permit - a car, imho, is a FAR more dangerous weapon than a gun - if she gets in that car and has an accident, killing someone, is that then excused because she didn't know better? This is a horrible horrible accident and I feel so sad for that girl and her family, for all the families involved.

And in most states, we don't let teens drive cars without quite a bit of training.

I don't understand the distinction you are making about where the gun was left. Yes, it was in a holster, but it sure sounds like it was "just tossed out and left laying around" to me.

 

[wfgodot]

Not sure now if gun was holstered or not - it had been gotten out of a safe in order for the owner to see if it fit in a new holster he got for Christmas. It was, however, and regardless if left in a holster or not, left loaded and lying atop a piano.

 

[Nova]

Not sure now if gun was holstered or not - it had been gotten out of a safe in order for the owner to see if it fit in a new holster he got for Christmas. It was, however, and regardless if left in a holster or not, left loaded and lying atop a piano.

I was being sarcastic about the holster, but thanks for the clarification. No, I don't know if the gun was in the holster, nor does it affect my view of the case.

I also don't know MO law, so I'm not going to comment on the DA's decision not to prosecute. I still think a gun owner has at least a moral (if not legal) obligation to keep his gun out of the hands of visiting minors.

 

[wfgodot]

I was being sarcastic about the holster, but thanks for the clarification. No, I don't know if the gun was in the holster, nor does it affect my view of the case.

I also don't know MO law, so I'm not going to comment on the DA's decision not to prosecute. I still think a gun owner has at least a moral (if not legal) obligation to keep his gun out of the hands of visiting minors.

I know. There had been other comments above about the gun being in the holster (or not in the holster) too.

 

[Soulmagent]

Not sure now if gun was holstered or not - it had been gotten out of a safe in order for the owner to see if it fit in a new holster he got for Christmas. It was, however, and regardless if left in a holster or not, left loaded and lying atop a piano.

An article upthread said it one girl took it out of the holster and pulled the trigger. It seems she assumed the adults took measures at gun safty.

Which was not done ,even if he thought the teens would never see the gun or be near it. Guns should not be stored loaded. That gives the owner time to wonder if the gun is loaded.

 

[oh_gal]

There's a reason they make gun safes.

 

[TrackerSam]

From the news story -

“There is no indication the owner of the gun had given it to the girls or had been displaying it in a manner that would have made it an attractive item for them to play with,” Skouby said. “It was left in a room where the girls were not expected to be.”

Kay Zerkel, a cousin of Megan Reppond, told the Globe that the girl’s family does not blame anyone for their loss.

“The family wants to make it clear that this was just an accident, a very unfortunate accident, but just an accident,” Zerkel said. “They hold no one responsible.”

 

[Quiche]

Another point, and I'm going to get very general-- but I was taught not to pick up other people's things at all if I wasn't given explicit permission to do so. There's a general laziness of manners all around us these days, and the rules of basic civility are there for a multitude of reasons. Easier just to start with the basics: if it's not yours, don't touch it. mo

 

[doubt]

wow. the 14 year old is somehow responsible? are you kidding me?

when's the last time you folks had a giddy group of 14 year old girls running around your homes? ever?

neither the maturity of the girls nor what they may or may not have learned about gun safety are the issues here.

the adult, the homeowner, the gun owner, the host of the party...is solely responsible for making sure that his home is safe. he didn't. his fault. and furthermore, he's not only responsible for the death, he's responsible for the sheer hell that the surviving girls will endure, particularly the one who pulled that trigger.

if this man knew his electrical system was overloaded and after plugging in half a dozen hot irons, hair dryers, ipod speakers etc......a fire broke out in which one of the teens died....would we blame the last teen who plugged something in before flames erupted? of course not. what a bunch of irresponsible nonsense.

i would bet money that many of the folks here who are so insistent that a 14 year old should have known better would be shocked to find out exactly what their own 14 year olds would do in similar situations. while all the preaching in the world is fine, it doesn't change the fact that your 14 year old is far less likely to ''reason'' and ''ponder'' than some would like to believe.

please keep in mind the numbers of young teenagers we read about here who end up lured away, raped, and murdered, in spite of everything they've learned about what not to do and who not to trust.

presumption and naivete on the part of adults in regard to children and what they will do is irresponsible and it's dangerous. this is true when it comes to leaving deadly weapons laying around in the open in a home during a sleepover....and it's also true when it comes to publicly claiming that a 14 year old girl is responsible for the death of a friend bc YOU think SHE should have known better and done differently.

if you own a gun, lock it up.

 

[angelmom]

I've had teens here a lot, and even my DD11 has friends over frequently. While I do not trust them to make adult decisions, we do have rules about where they are not invited. I've never had a problem with them going into my bedroom or sewing area, office, etc. where I have extremely sharp scissors and rotary cutters, needles, and more. I've never had a kid touch or mess with something that isn't theirs, with the one exception being my older son's drum set. (It's in the room where they all hang out, is incredibly tempting, and they've never harmed it. They just want to try it. If it were a problem, we'd have to come up with a way to move it or move them.Right now it just annoys my older son.)

My understanding is that this girl broke a lot of rules in the house and obviously didn't have the manners to respect other people's boundaries or things. She went into a room where they were not supposed to be, she took a gun from a holster, pointed it at someone, and pulled the trigger. There were so many points on this horrific path where she could have made a different choice!

When you consider that this girl will be legally allowed to drive a car in less than a year, it really puts things in perspective. How can we allow someone to take control of a motor vehicle that kills way more people annually than guns, but not trust her not to point a gun at someone and pull the trigger?

Yes, I think guns should be locked up and ours are all unloaded and in a safe, but the gun owner is not the only person who bears the weight of this tragedy.

 

[redheadedgal]

From the news story -

Kay Zerkel, a cousin of Megan Reppond, told the Globe that the girl’s family does not blame anyone for their loss.

“The family wants to make it clear that this was just an accident, a very unfortunate accident, but just an accident,” Zerkel said. “They hold no one responsible.”

apparently they changed their mind shortly after--

A wrongful death lawsuit filed after a teen was killed at a slumber party has been settled by an insurance company.

...

Megan's parents had filed the lawsuit against the parents hosting the party, Scott and Shirley Arkle of Neosho, Missouri.

...

The insurance company settled the lawsuit for $100,000.


http://www.koamtv.com/story/13749977/joplin-teen-dead-after-being-shot-during-slumber-party

 

[TexasLori]

The unfortunate truth here is that mistakes were made by almost everyone involved. The homeowner, who should have had the gun in a safe place; the girl, who should have known better than to touch the gun; the girls, who should not have been in the room; the parents, who maybe should have discussed such a situation with their children. As soon as I read this thread, I sat my five-year-old down and had a very serious discussion with her. My dad is a hunter and has been telling her about gun safety since before she could understand. I will still talk to her about it often, and I will pray that others around her take gun safety as seriously as we do.

I am in absolutely NO WAY blaming any victim in this. I just think that it is near useless to try and lay blame on someone when there were so many factors at work that day. Take out any one of the steps I listed above and you have a totally different scenario.