4-year-old finds loaded gun in car, fatally shoots himself outside Colorado pot shop

[left-of-center2012]

A 4-year-old Colorado boy fatally shot himself this week after finding a loaded gun inside his family’s car while his dad shopped at a marijuana dispensary, authorities said. The child was in the vehicle with his mom and a younger sibling when he discovered the weapon, turned it on his own head and fired a single shot, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. He was pronounced dead on the scene and both of his parents were arrested.

The horrific incident happened Tuesday in the parking lot of a pot shop in Manitou Springs, just west of Colorado Spring. Authorities said the victim’s dad, 26-year-old Carlos Perez, was inside the store when the shooting took place. It was not immediately clear how the child managed to grab a firearm and shoot himself while his mom, 25-year-old Ashlynne Perez, was in the same car, but the sheriff’s office determined no one else was involved in the shooting.

El Paso County, CO, deputies urged the community to keep guns away from children and secure them properly.

The parents were charged with criminally negligent child abuse resulting in death.

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-manitou-springs-colorado-boy-gun-car-fatally-shoots-himself-20210708-usrimtwlzff7zpa5pv3jbbp3my-story.html

[hookaleft]

1. Fugging mom was probably texting or on her phone...........

No more words....

[Mariana]

12. It's going to depend on whether she knew there was a gun in the car.

The kid could have discovered the gun, picked it up and shot himself all within a couple of seconds. Even if she saw him, she might not have been able to prevent it - IF she didn't know there was a gun in the car.

[hookaleft]

13. The most basic observation should be....

Why wasn't the kid buckled in his car seat?

[Mariana]

15. The basic answer is because the car wasn't moving.

The kids only need to be buckled into their car seats when the car is in motion. If the car's going to be parked for awhile, it's reasonable to let them out so they can move around and play. Almost all of the time, "inside the parked car with mom" is a safe place for an unrestrained kid to be.

[uncle ray]

21. some more details from local news:

[link:https://www.kktv.com/2021/07/06/death-investigation-underway-outside-maggies-farm/]

“Ms. Perez advised [her son] had done this in the past. Ms. Perez told [her son] to re-buckle, but he refused to listen and climbed into the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Then as she turned her head to look out the window towards the gas station (opposite of the location), she heard a loud boom. Ms. Perez looked back at [her son] and noticed his eyes were looking in opposite directions. She began checking [her son’s] side for an injury due to the sound. ... At that time, Ms. Perez looked inside his mouth and noticed the injury. Ms. Perez began screaming and trying to call 911, however was to distraught to do so.” - Excerpt from arrest affidavit for Ashlynne Perez

Both parents reportedly told investigators their son was familiar with the gun, having played with it previously. Carlos Perez allegedly admitted to showing his child the gun the day before while it was unloaded. Investigators also learned the little boy had played with the gun two other times before his parents noticed and took the weapon away, the arrest affidavit said.

On the day the family drove to Maggie’s Farm, Carlos Perez loaded the firearm and stashed it an open glovebox in the vehicle.

“Your affiant [detective] is aware firearms have been taken away [the child] on other occasions where he has picked up the firearm and attempted to play with it. Due to those incidents occurring in the past, both parents should have been aware of the danger of this occurring and the probability that [the child] would pick up a firearm within his vicinity. Both Mr. Perez and Ms. Perez were aware of the loaded firearm being out in the open of the vehicle where the [child] could easily access it if he was not in the backseat of the vehicle. Both parents were also aware [the child] was capable of exiting his booster seat and gaining access to the front seat of the vehicle. Neither placed the firearm in a safe location despite knowing the past history of [the child] and firearms resulting in this incident occurring.” - Excerpt from arrest affidavit for Carlos Perez

[Mariana]

22. Both parents belong in prison for a good long time, then.

Thank you for the details.

[FirstLight]

2. I take it the youngewr sibling is in protective care?

so fucking sad....why TF do you have a LOADED weapon in your car with kids? WTAF

[Effete Snob]

3. The child was under the supervision of an adult

I don't understand the significance of him being in a store, nor of what sort of store it was, given that the child was under the direct supervision of a parent at the time.

[Haggard Celine]

6. That's what I think.

They should have just said that the dad had left the child in care of his mother while he went in a store. If he had gone into a store to buy beer, would they have printed that?

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Have To Agree

The being in the store might be relevant if the kids were alone in the car. They weren't.
Pointing out it was a pot store is gratuitous nonsense. Could just as easily been a hardware store. Then, I bet, it wouldn't have been mentioned.

[PortTack]

4. Guns...ppl never learn

[Initech]

9. Like I keep saying: give an idiot a gun, don't be surprised when they do something stupid with it.

[obamanut2012]

5. The cannabis dispensary has zero to do with this

Nothing but Right Wing propo.

[maxsolomon]

8. Clearly the fault of "bad people" using Schedule 1 Narcotics.

Let's not blame the Guns, OK? Guns had nothing to do with it.

If this were a white Gunner couple in their rural house, the Sheriff would probably have said it was just a tragic mistake. I've seen that story on DU multiple times. But these 2 get charged? Why the double standard?

Rhetorical question; I know why...

[Effete Snob]

10. Yep

While people need to be held accountable for their maintenance of their guns, it does seem that the “child gets gun and shoots self” story does not often result in the arrest of the parents.

I do not know the rules, if any, for transporting firearms in Colorado.

[Dial H For Hero]

18. Here's the relevant law:

https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/guns-in-vehicles-in-colorado/

In Colorado, a person may carry a concealed firearm, regardless of a permit, while in a private automobile or other private conveyance, for lawful protection while traveling. Colorado law provides that local governments may not restrict a person’s ability to travel in a private automobile or other private conveyance while in possession of a firearm for hunting or lawful protection while traveling.

Colorado prohibits any person from possessing or having under his or her control any firearm other than a handgun in or on any motor vehicle unless the chamber of the firearm is unloaded.

[beaglelover]

11. Very tragic!

[SoCalDavidS]

14. They Don't Deserve To Have Kids

Tie her tubes and give him a vasectomy.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

16. As Paul Ryan would say

A small price to pay for freedumb. The poor kid never had a chance for life, what a waste.

Our society has gone mad. My Trumphumping SIL is talking about purchasing guns. Her most likely victim is my brother, returning home at 2:00 am after bar close.

[edhopper]

17. The story is so

They can blame pot and not guns.

[Marrah_Goodman]

19. Where to even start on this one...

[gratuitous]

20. And the official solution proffered for this completely preventable death?

"El Paso County, CO, deputies urged the community to keep guns away from children and secure them properly."

And that's as much as anyone, anywhere in this country can do.