3 year-old dead after parent leaves real gun & wii gun on coffee table

[Ginsu Victim]

Some country bumpkin dumbass left his pistol on the coffee table and his three year-old daughter thought it was a Wii gun and shot herself with it.

Man, some people... (I don't have the words, but I'm sure you have words of your own for this...)

http://www.allaboutthegames.co.uk/feature_story.php?headline=Girl-mistakes-gun-for-Wii-controller---kills-herself-News&article_id=10318

[DJ_Izumi]

I honestly think this has NOTHING to do with the Wii.  There was a loaded, unsafetied firearm on a table in front of a three year old child.  She could have done that had she had a bowl of Mac & Cheese infront of her instead.

[Ginsu Victim]

Exactly. That's why I lead with "some country bumpkin dumbass" because THAT'S who the blame is on for this, not the Wii.

Edit: Changed the topic to better reflect who's at fault.

[Dizzle]

That "dad" needs lots of jail time.  How do you leave a loaded out with kids around? 

3 years old is too young for kids to be playing with toy guns anyway. 

[drventure]

Dear god. There's so many things wrong in that story, where can you possibly begin?

No point in locking up the dad, really. It'd just cost tax payers. And, really, he's got to live with the fact that he killed a 3 yo kid who was just wanting to play a game.

Regardless of whether he's got a brain or not, if he's got even a shred of conscience, he'll spend the rest of his life hearing that shot.

[Ginsu Victim]

No point in locking up the dad, really. It'd just cost tax payers.

I'm not a fan of taxes, but that's one ---uvula--- I don't mind paying for.

[danny_galaga]

I honestly think this has NOTHING to do with the Wii.  There was a loaded, unsafetied firearm on a table in front of a three year old child.  She could have done that had she had a bowl of Mac & Cheese infront of her instead.

+1.

Mentioning the Wii is just a way of adding a modern context to the story...

[Dartful Dodger]

If the 3 year old was playing the Wii with a real gun, wouldn't she have shot the TV?

People with 3 year old need to take precautions and baby proof their homes.

If this was an accident caused by someone being irresponsible they should get in as much trouble as a if the 3 year electrocuted herself trying to unplug the Wii or if the TV fell over and crushed the kid while she playing the Wii.

[Bender]

I don't know the who thing sounds a little suspicious to me
step dad leaving a loaded gun right where the "fake" gun the child plays with normally is, then goes in another room to "sleep"

[Ginsu Victim]

Everything and everyone sounds suspicious taken out of context

+1

Yeah, I hate not having the whole story.

Even when you have all the facts, you still have to question the bias of the writer, as well.

[daywane]

I have had only one gun that a 3 year old could fire.
I got rid of that gun.
most guns take a bit of pressure to fire

[danny_galaga]

I have had only one gun that a 3 year old could fire.
I got rid of that gun.
most guns take a bit of pressure to fire

That's a good point. What the hell kinda 'saturday night special' did he leave on the table? I remember a friend showing me a few guns and how to operate them. Was amazing how much effort is required to arm a standard Colt 1911 model.

[TOK]

That's a good point. What the hell kinda 'saturday night special' did he leave on the table? I remember a friend showing me a few guns and how to operate them. Was amazing how much effort is required to arm a standard Colt 1911 model.

Although I keep all my stuff secure, my most accessible firearm is a 1911.
My daughter is 5, and even though the gun is secure, there are three further things that are comforting to know.
1. The magazine is too hard to push in for her.
2. The slide is way too hard for her to rack.
3. The backstrap safety on the grip doesn't really work for little hands.

I don't think she could shoot it even if she wanted to.
I am a proponent of the following: The best thing you can do with kids and guns is show and explain them, let them hold it, then tell them not to touch one if they see it and to go tell an adult.

The attraction of a firearm to a kid is the natural curiosity of something that is typically kept hidden and not talked about. They are a mystery to most kids. Holding and knowing about a firearm removes that mystery.
Having them know not to touch them and tell an adult when alone is the best you can do to protect them if one of their friends is a ---sufferer of cranial-rectal-inversion--- like the guy in this post and they encounter a gun while you're not watching them.

I, and many of my friends grew up in military and sporting families. Weapons around was the norm, and none of us ever had so much as a close call.

[Ginsu Victim]

When I was little, my dad had a .357. He put the fear of God in me about ever touching that thing. He told me the size of the hole the exit wound would be, and that was all a nine year-old had to hear.

Also, he tipped his bullets with mercury, so I got that explained to me, too.

I never went near it and had no clue where it even was to begin with (not that I would even look!).

[Dartful Dodger]

1. The magazine is too hard to push in for her.
2. The slide is way too hard for her to rack.
3. The backstrap safety on the grip doesn't really work for little hands.

Ugh, I didn't even think of that aspect of having kids.
Not having a loaded gun already racked near the bed is going to take some getting use to.

[kizer]

I guess it all depends on your level of self control and gun control. My weapon is loaded with no safety and that's for a reason because its designed for quick draw and fire. You enter my house late at night and if any of my family is threatened you will feel the pain.

I live back in the woods and its really dark. We have a house alarm and it will wake the dead its so loud. I tell everybody with a key to my place which happens to be my wife's family. If they come over without calling and we are all asleep they will find a pale, nakid man with a gun pointed at them. They better be drunk as hell or bleeding to enter like that.

However on the flip side I have a small gun safe that requires the correct fingers to push the correct buttons in the correct order. Its very possible that my boy of 4years old could guess the correct order and gain access. You will never see my gun laying around on the table. You will never see my gun ever confused for a toy. Its put up and locked away with a reasonable amount of security. Its semi-auto as well and the round is not chambered.

[shmokes]

Why would it matter if the toy gun was properly painted white and blue?  Like the 3-year-old is going to look at a black version and say, "Oh . . . that one's a different color.  Obviously it wouldn't be fun."  

BTW . . . check out this video.  Pretty bold this soon after the tragedy (but also hilarious and on point):

Boy’s Tragic Death Could Have Happened To Any Family With 20-Foot Pet Python

[Dartful Dodger]

The Onion's "Girl Permanently Disfigured Could Have Happened To Any Family With A Dog" was a lot funnier.

[Dartful Dodger]

Speaking of animal attacks and/or doing something that most people don’t understand or consider unnecessary:

A teacher jogging along a rural Alaskan road was killed in an animal attack