TX - Girl, 3, kills sister, 4, with gun, Harris County, 13 Mar 2023

GarAndTeed

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A 3-year-old girl found a loaded gun in a Texas home and accidentally shot her sister, killing the 4-year-old on Sunday, police said. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the girls were in the bedroom of an apartment on Bammel North Houston Road in Houston, where they lived with their parents, around 8 p.m. <snip>
 

Lilibet

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Insanity!


Firearm-related injury recently surpassed motor vehicle crashes to become the leading cause of death among people 1 to 19 years old in the US, according to a 2022 paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine. In that, the US stands alone among world powers.
 

SusanDonim

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I read this stuff from the UK and despair Biggest "accidentally finding" worries when mine were little were prescription meds and cleaning chemicals. A loaded <modsnip: circumventing profanity filters> GUN. Hope the surviving child gets appropriate support. Bloody heartbreaking.
 
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iamshadow21

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A 3-year-old girl found a loaded gun in a Texas home and accidentally shot her sister, killing the 4-year-old on Sunday, police said. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the girls were in the bedroom of an apartment on Bammel North Houston Road in Houston, where they lived with their parents, around 8 p.m. <snip>
Children have a right to grow up.

I know that the right to bear arms is protected. (I'm not disputing that, so cool your jets, gun owners, that's not where I'm going.)

I think there's something in there about the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in there, too.

Where is the life, liberty or happiness in this?

Sleep well, sweetie.

And little sis, I really hope you have a chance at a good life. None of this was your fault. The responsibility for this situation, and for changing this situation so it never happens again, lies with grown ups. It's a heavy burden you've been handed. I hope you're able to carry it.

MOO
 

Snoopster

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Insanity!


Firearm-related injury recently surpassed motor vehicle crashes to become the leading cause of death among people 1 to 19 years old in the US, according to a 2022 paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine. In that, the US stands alone among world powers.
There are no words.
 

TxLady2

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I guess my question is: How on earth is a 3 yr. old able to find a loaded gun?? Why was this gun not locked up in a safe somewhere?
Ok, that's two questions, Sue me, Things like this just baffle me. Poor child, to have to grow up with this hanging over her head.
My heart goes out to this family.
 

TxLady2

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It's kind of odd to me that a 3 yr old would even know how to handle a gun, how to aim and fire it, even. I definitely believe this should be all on the parents, and I hope the little girl won't have nightmares because of it.
 

imstilla.grandma

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There were at least 2,070 unintentional shootings by children under 18 years old between 2015 and 2020, resulting in 765 deaths and 1,366 injuries, according to data compiled by Everytown Research & Policy, the research arm of the group that advocates for gun control and against gun violence. About 39% involved a shooter 9 years old or younger, the non-profit said. bbm

”In no other similarly large or wealthy country are firearm deaths in the top 4 causes of mortality let alone the number 1 cause of death among children," a Kaiser Family Foundation study wrote last year.
 

iamshadow21

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It's kind of odd to me that a 3 yr old would even know how to handle a gun, how to aim and fire it, even. I definitely believe this should be all on the parents, and I hope the little girl won't have nightmares because of it.
As far as I know, no one is saying the child's intention was to fire it, or that she even knew what one was. I think she just grabbed it with a hand around the trigger, and it went off. It's happened a lot. There was a case while back where a mother and her child, I think two or under in age, were at the shops. They were using a shopping trolley, child and the mother's purse both in the trolley. The child reached into the purse, grabbed on to the woman's handgun, and it went off, killing the mother. It doesn't take strength, aim, intent, or knowledge of how guns work. Just gripping the wrong place with the force of a toddler's fist.

That's why I believe all firearms should be secured away from children. If a gun owner can't secure a gun away from a child, then they shouldn't have one. The risk is just too great.

MOO
 
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