In a tragic true crime incident, a two-year-old shot his own parents.
A 2-year-old boy in Maine shot his parents recently with a gun he picked up from a nightstand a from a local TV station said.
The toddler’s 25-year-old father was hit in the head, and the mother, 22, was struck in the leg in the shooting at their home in West Bath, WMTW reported, citing Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry.
The baby was injured by the recoil of the gun, authorities said. All three family members were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Merry.
“The question of how the boy was able to pick up and fire the weapon is of great concern and is being investigated. This situation, while disturbing, could have had an even more tragic ending. We are thankful that the injuries were not more serious,” Merry said.
“This situation, while disturbing, could have had an even more tragic ending,” the sheriff said.
Merry said the couple’s 3-week-old baby is in the care of his grandmother, who also lives at the home but was not there at the time of the incident.
The incident remains under investigation by the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Sagadahoc County District. Merry said that so far, no charges have been issued, adding that his office offers free trigger locks upon request.
“In the 12 years I’ve been sheriff, we’ve never had a situation like this,” he said. “If you have children, you really should be securing any firearm in a locked closet or cabinet or have a trigger lock.”
The accident is prompting the Maine Gun Safety Coalition to renew their push for the passage of LD 759, legislation that would penalize parents when a child gets access to a loaded firearm, noted another local station, WGME.
“What happened is a sad, shocking example of why we need LD 759. Children are curious, and this legislation sends the message that it is not okay to leave a loaded firearm where a kid might get it,” said state Rep. Vicki Doudera (D), a sponsor of the bill.
“I hope that my fellow legislators will support this critically important child safety measure which we have seen time and again is needed in our state,” Doudera added.
This is certainly not the first such incident of a child getting a hold of a firearm and accidentally wounding or even killing another child or adult. According to Nationwide Children’s Hospitals, most of the victims of unintentional shootings are boys. They are usually shot by a friend or relative, especially a brother. And, nearly 40% of all unintentional shooting deaths among children 11-14 years of age occur in the home of a friend.
Nationwide also lists these common misconceptions many parents hold about kids and guns:
- Many parents think their children are not capable of firing a gun. However, children as young as 3 years old may be strong enough to pull the trigger of a handgun.
- Parents believe their children know the difference between real guns and toy guns, but in 16% of unintentional firearm deaths among children younger than 13 years of age, the gun was mistaken for a toy.
- Parents often believe their child would not touch a gun because “he knows better.” However, studies have found that most children will handle a gun if they find one, even if they have been taught not to.
- Some parents consider non-powder guns, like BB, pellet, and paintball guns, to be toys. These guns, which can fire at the speed of traditional guns, lead to nearly 22,000 injuries each year, especially eye injuries.
They, as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics, and law enforcement entities nationwide, all urge gun owners with children in the house to secure their firearms in a locked safe or with a trigger lock to prevent tragedies like the one in Maine.
You don’t leave guns in reach of children! How stupid are those people.?
Anyone believing this story please I have few tickets left on my space ship. Moving to the Andromeda Galaxy to escape the pandemic of stupidity. 2 yr old couldn’t fire a shot and still hold the gun for a second shot. The shock and sound of the shock would have scared and paralyzed the kid. A shot to the head of the man seems like an attempted murder/suicide. Can’t believe anyone fell for it.
Unless this 2 year old turns out to be a homicidal maniac I’m thinking the parents should be charged with child neglect. You cant fix stupid.
I find it hard to believe that a two year old could cook, then fire, a handgun. I recently purchased a semiautomatic pistol, and found it very difficult to find one that I could cock and fire. Without question, a pistol should be put out of reach from tiny, spying, eyes. I am sure that the parents are totally shocked that their two year old, was able to aim, then shoot, a firearm. I wish them all, a speedy recovery🙏
Does a two year old have hands big enough and the strength in them to hold and discharge a firearm?
Facts say that a child as old as 3 may be able to fire a gun while the article is about a 2 year old that did so?
If ypu need a gun for home defense, a LOCK means YOU die! There’s not time to fumble with a lock. Americans have lived with unsecured guns in their homes from the earliest settlers to the present. Keep them out of the reach of small children, but start teaching them, as soon as they start toddling, NOT to fear, but to respect and responsibly handle that weapon, so that, should a day come when your child needs to defend himself from an home invader, he won’t hesitate out of fear of the gun, or miss out of lack of experience handling it.
I grew up in a hunting home, there was a rifle rack above the couch. WE never thought about touching them without permission, even my older brother who was a budding juvenile delinquet who stole a teacher’s car when he was ten, tried to get another kid to drink turpentine from a coke bottle, and was brought home so many times by the cops we were on a first name basis with both of them (SMAAAALL TOWN!)
I grew up around firearms, and was taught at a very young age they are not toys, yes I grew up firing them and my mother would have shot me herself if she caught me playing with it. Also I have locks on my firearms as all responsible people should if not in a locked cabinet and even when they are in a locked cabinet the locks are on them. These are just irresponsible people sad they had to learn the hard way, but hopefully they learned their lesson.
even basic safety precautions would prevent these disasters having the gun in a holster where the trigger is covered, with enough friction that a child couldn’t overcome to pull out. mainly putting the gun out of reach in a drawer with a childproof latch. protecting children is part of parenting. it must be learned with the wisdom of common sense and know that nothing is impossible for a child. the only way to insure their safety is to prevent them from having access. this doesn’t mean locked up in a vault where it isn’t accessible for an adult to get to when the need to defend arises. no mention of alcohol but I would bet both parents were asleep with alcohol induced effects. leaving a two year old free to roam around having access to dangerous items that could be ingested or applied when spilled and kill the child seems to have had the disasterious end that was preventable. I am sure this will be used by the left to verify the need for gun control. using the same logic government would want us to have licenses to have children next.———–Grampa
I ordered from city and the product I got was not with a dropper and only get 2 good idea off of and I ordered 3and sent me nine I called and he said I have to July to return the product.
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