Toddler wounds both parents with 1 shot from handgun (updated)

[Archae]

Last edited Sun Feb 1, 2015, 01:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: WBAY-TV ABC affiliate in Green Bay

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a 3-year-old boy got ahold of a handgun from his mother’s purse and fired just one shot that wounded both his parents.

Albuquerque police say the toddler apparently reached for an iPod but found the loaded weapon.

The bullet first struck his father in the buttock and then hit the shoulder of his mother, who is eight months pregnant. His 2-year-old sister was present but unhurt.

Local media reports say police believe Saturday’s shooting was accident.

Read more: http://wbay.com/ap/toddler-wounds-both-parents-with-1-shot-from-handgun/

---

Again?

Update: They talk to the guy shot in the butt, in this report.

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/02/3-year-old-finds-gun-handbag-shoots-both

[AngryAmish]

1. That will show them for turning off Thomas the Tank Engine.

[lsewpershad]

63. Ha Ha

"Good guy with a gun"

[MADem]

79. Little Sure Shot of the 21st Century.... nt

[NutmegYankee]

2. There's always some idiot who just can't seem to keep a gun locked away from children.

It really isn't that hard at all.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Pablum Sniper

If only his parents were armed.............

[McCamy Taylor]

4. My thought exactly.

[ybbor]

27. This^^^^^

🔫🔫🔫

[thesquanderer]

5. The only thing that stops a baby with a gun is a grown-up with a gun

The parents were lucky this time. Next time, they will be armed and ready.

[onehandle]

6. There was a two year old in the room too.

Where was her gun?

It was irresponsible of the parents to disarm her.

Hopefully they will learn from this and put a gun into the hand of the baby the mother is eight months pregnant with, the moment it emerges from the womb.

'Start 'em early to build our customer base.' - Wayne LaPierre to a room full of gun manufacturers ...probably.

[Thav]

11. The moment it emerges? THAT'S TOO LATE!

Why didn't the mother have a 50 caliber browning machine gun mounted on her stomach?!?!?!?!?!?!???!?!?!? How is that baby going to defend itself in the womb!?!?!?! WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO WHERE MOTHERS WON'T EVEN ALLOW THEIR IN UTERO BABIES TO DEFEND THEMSELVES?!?!!

[TheCowsCameHome]

49. Awww, fer Chrissakes, she was just a lookout.

Get your facts straight.

[duhneece]

7. There is NO excuse, but Alb police have killed so many

I am trying to understand, not excuse, the parents.

Could any part of their thinking have been for self-defense against the police?

"...In the past five years, the police department of Albuquerque, a city of just 550,000, has managed to kill 28 people — a per-capita kill rate nearly double that of the Chicago police and eight times that of the NYPD. Until now, not one of the officers in those 28 killings had been charged with any crime. ..."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/when-cops-break-bad-albuquerque-police-force-gone-wild-20150129#ixzz3QV8Ow17N
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

[kiva]

77. I'm going with the obvious -

stupid and irresponsible parents who left an loaded gun accessible to a 3 year old. There is no understanding stupid.

[Sancho]

8. People Control, Not Gun Control

This is my generic response to gun threads where people are shot and killed by the dumb or criminal possession of guns. For the record, I grew up in the South and on military bases. I was taught about firearms as a child, and I grew up hunting, was a member of the NRA, and I still own guns. In the 70’s, I dropped out of the NRA because they become more radical and less interested in safety and training. Some personal experiences where people I know were involved in shootings caused me to realize that anyone could obtain and posses a gun no matter how illogical it was for them to have a gun. Also, easy access to more powerful guns, guns in the hands of children, and guns that weren’t secured are out of control in our society. As such, here’s what I now think ought to be the requirements to possess a gun. I’m not debating the legal language, I just think it’s the reasonable way to stop the shootings. Notice, none of this restricts the type of guns sold. This is aimed at the people who shoot others, because it’s clear that they should never have had a gun.

1.) Anyone in possession of a gun (whether they own it or not) should have a regularly renewed license. If you want to call it a permit, certificate, or something else that's fine.
2.) To get a license, you should have a background check, and be examined by a professional for emotional and mental stability appropriate for gun possession. It might be appropriate to require that examination to be accompanied by references from family, friends, employers, etc. This check is not to subject you to a mental health diagnosis, just check on your superficial and apparent gun-worthyness.
3.) To get the license, you should be required to take a safety course and pass a test appropriate to the type of gun you want to use.
4.) To get a license, you should be over 21. Under 21, you could only use a gun under direct supervision of a licensed person and after obtaining a learner’s license. Your license might be restricted if you have children or criminals or other unsafe people living in your home. (If you want to argue 18 or 25 or some other age, fine. 21 makes sense to me.)
5.) If you possess a gun, you would have to carry a liability insurance policy specifically for gun ownership - and likely you would have to provide proof of appropriate storage, security, and whatever statistical reasons that emerge that would drive the costs and ability to get insurance.
6.) You could not purchase a gun or ammunition without a license, and purchases would have a waiting period.
7.) If you possess a gun without a license, you go to jail, the gun is impounded, and a judge will have to let you go (just like a DUI).
8.) No one should carry an unsecured gun (except in a locked case, unloaded) when outside of home. Guns should be secure when transporting to a shooting event without demonstrating a special need. Their license should indicate training and special circumstances beyond recreational shooting (security guard, etc.).
9.) If you buy, sell, give away, or inherit a gun, your license information should be recorded.
10.) If you accidentally discharge your gun, commit a crime, get referred by a mental health professional, are served a restraining order, etc., you should lose your license and guns until reinstated by a serious relicensing process.

Most of you know that a license is no big deal. Besides a driver’s license you need a license to fish, rent scuba equipment, operate a boat, or many other activities. I realize these differ by state, but that is not a reason to let anyone without a bit of sense pack a semiautomatic weapon in public, on the roads, and in schools. I think we need to make it much harder for some people to have guns.

[mountain grammy]

12. All of the above!

[Thor_MN]

13. Agree with you on just about everything, but SCUBA equipment requires a certification...

One gets licenses from a government, either with out without a test. Generally, certifications come from private organizations, mostly requiring education and testing.

There are no requirements to operate a boat other than age in Minnesota, other states may vary. People as young as 12 can drive a boat as long as someone 21 or older is within reach of the controls. At age 18, there are no requirements.

I like your 10 step list, just think that a little rewording of that last paragraph would help to prevent people from dismissing the entire post.

[Sancho]

58. Yea..I'm sure states differ...

In Florida they have started a boat license program. It's easy to pass, but everyone is supposed to take a simple test that is state required. Here's the link:

https://www.boat-ed.com/florida/?gclid=CIq9wN2nwcMCFURo7AodRk8A0A

I don't know the state law on scuba and snorkeling (other than flag laws, etc.), but none of the dive shops will rent or take you on trips here without the PADI certification course. Maybe it's just liability, but I think that Florida regulates things like diving, parasailing, etc. Even though the certification is private, there may be some kind of government oversight. I know a dive shop owner who is an attorney, so I'll ask him when I get a chance what the regs are...it's a good question. I am sure that diving is MUCH safer now that people have to be certified to get equipment.

At any rate, I don't think it matters if training or insurance is a private certification, as long as there was some kind of requirement that keeps the obviously unsafe folks from easy access to guns and ammo. There's a way around any rule, but in this case (like a lot of others), someone was pretty clueless to leave loaded guns where kids could get to them. In the 1950's my father had a gun case - and the unloaded guns were in the case while ammo was locked in a drawer with a different lock. You had to have two keys to get to both. I had kids in the house years ago. I have a gun safe and trigger locks.

That's the idea behind a license for people to possess guns. I think if insurance companies were involved, they also would be asking about locked storage, kids in the house, and training.

[Eureka]

69. That's pretty much the Australian model too

and it seems to work very well (albeit not perfect)

[mopinko]

9. they need to be charged w neglect.

pure and simple.

[mainstreetonce]

35. No

The charge needs to be stronger than just simple neglect. The only way irresponsible owners will learn is serious jail time and loss of gun rights.

[mopinko]

37. i'm just being practical.

i agree. but since none of these clowns ever get hit w ANY charges, i will settle for neglect.
they could lose their kids on a charge like that, tho. me, i, would rather be in jail than have my kids in foster care.

[mainstreetonce]

40. Thar problem is

if they are charged with neglect other gun owners don't care. We need to make this kind of "accident "a crime that takes away gun ownership.
Felony gun irresponsibility.

[Matrosov]

10. An accident?

Local media reports say police believe Saturday’s shooting was accident.

How can they be sure it was just an accident and not a targeted assassination attempt? Is the toddler Muslim, receiving government assistance, or believing in global warming and the Big Bang? You never know with those commies.

[Thor_MN]

15. Would the toddler not recieve all sorts of entitlements if the parents were gone?

Social Security benefits out the pampers...

The kid came that close to being America's most deadly toddler. One shot, two kills. Think of the book deals, the movie rights. And the kid should know to avoid claiming to beat up Jesse Ventura in a bar..

[Hoppy]

14. There needs to be a new category of Darwin Award:

Dumbasses shot by their toddlers.

Even though they have reproduced, they still made a valiant effort to improve the gene pool.

[WilliamPitt]

16. American Sniper

[NBachers]

17. Oboy! A twofer!

[candelista]

29. Kid's got talent!

[Quasimodem]

70. A real sharpshooter!

I've heard of seven cops unloading their entire clip at a suspect and only hitting him seventeen times.

[Heather MC]

18. wait two toddlers and a loaded gun?? #ParentsOfTheYear!!!

[SheilaT]

19. I think this kid needs to get points for marksmanship.

I bet most people couldn't wound two with one shot, so this is pretty impressive.

I'm not even sure I'm intending sarcasm here.

I agree with Sancho, and I'd add that the liability insurance needs to be carried even if a gun has been stolen from you, unless it is legally re-registered somewhere else. Had you not owned the gun it could not have been stolen from you, and you are still responsible for it.

[Orrex]

20. More importantly, is the iPod safe?

[lunasun]

59. +1

[valerief]

21. Damn, he could have rid the world of two morons if he'd had a better shot. nt

[Duckhunter935]

33. wow

to advocate the deaths of people, how nice.

[BrotherIvan]

73. Irony

[Schema Thing]

22. Gun nuts are gathering in Albuquerque even now - this child is the chosen one.

[Fla Dem]

23. "Local media reports say police believe Saturday’s shooting was accident."

No Sh#t Sherlock! But what a sorry state of affairs. Living in a motel with 2 babies. Sad, just sad.

[libodem]

24. Oh the patriotic duty

It burns. Is right.

[tabasco]

25. Good thing they had a gun to keep their family safe!

[Divernan]

26. So the couple had a 3 yr. old, a 2 yr. old and were 8 months pregnant, AND

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the family was living in the motel room where the shooting occurred.

This is not a black or white situation - cultural and economic factors intersect here.

Gun culture meets quasi-homelessness meets failure of public education about BIRTH CONTROL.
(Maybe while the docs are patching up Dad's butt they can throw in a free vasectomy.)

According to another news source, the scene of the shooting was:
Americas Best Value Inn Albuquerque Central
2108 Menaul Boulevard NE Albuquerque, NM 87107 United States.

The rate for a room with 2 double beds at the motel was $30.56 a night, with even lower rates available for long term stays & 20% off if booked a week in advance. The motel has a "kids stay free" policy for kids in the same room with parents.

Considering the family was living in a low rent motel in the central part of a city which is ranked in the lowest 4% for safety from crime, I can understand why they parents had a gun, i.e,. for protection.

Yes, the parents were criminally negligent, but on the other hand, if you want to protect your family in the event of a break-in to a one-room lodging, you don't have the gun locked away in a safe, do you. I'm not a gun person - do all hand guns have trigger guards? If not, why not?

As long as guns are so easily available and gun owners do not have to be licensed/tested for knowledge of gun safety, perhaps there should be mandatory gun safety classes starting in kindergarten - age appropriate, grade by grade.

On edit: Just went back and read the other comments, and was disgusted by the snark. This is a young family - Dad stayed in the picture and didn't abandon Mom & kids - people skating on that thin edge separating them from homelessness. What if they were the next level down, i.e, living in their car? Even more vulnerable to street crime and in need of some protection.

I volunteer for United Way in the VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) program, so deal with young parents struggling with poverty like many of us have never experienced. That's all day, every day. I don't see anything remotely funny about this story. Why don't all of you Great Wits step away from your computers and go volunteer at your local food banks?

[valerief]

28. Yeah, that gun really protected them, didn't it? nt

[Divernan]

31. Your empathy for the poor is truly underwhelming.

[valerief]

48. Your empathy for guns is frightening. nt

[DRoseDARs]

60. I'm no fan of guns, but you are way out of line here.

Unlike all the pasty white hillbillies worried about the gubmint comin to git der gurns, this family faces ACTUAL dangers to their lives and property. They were stupid to leave the gun unsecured, that much is clear.

[Divernan]

71. I appreciate your rational response.

[valerief]

72. Yes, the only way to protect your family is to let your kids shoot you. nt

[jberryhill]

80. "this family faces ACTUAL dangers to their lives"

What's remarkable about this response is the studied obliviousness to the ACTUAL danger which they encountered.

[crim son]

81. Maybe I'm just really sleepy but

I can't find any report that indicates the family was in ACTUAL danger, except from themselves. What am I missing?

[jberryhill]

84. I was replying to the bullshit above

It's a high crime area, so apparently the best way to find money is to beat up poor people or something.

[LibDemAlways]

30. What good is a loaded gun in a purse anyway?

If the gun owner was confronted by a criminal, by the time she reached for the purse (assuming it was within reach) and fumbled around in there for the gun, she would either accidentally fire into the purse hitting God knows what or the bad guy would wrestle the purse away. Stupid. Stupid. In any case, by allowing the toddler access to the purse, she got what she deserved.

[greiner3]

32. I remember a scene from a move;

That showed Pancho Vila lining up 5 or so peasants face forward and shooting the first and killing all of them, with the one bullet.

The parents of this story must have been showing this movie and the toddler aspired to be Pancho and wanted to get some practice in.

[Enthusiast]

34. LOL! More guns!

[Duckhunter935]

36. proper hangun safety

always have it in a proper holster on your person. Do not like the purse thing. I wish the "gun safety" groups would put this out more.

[TheCowsCameHome]

38. That sure looks good on paper

but in the real world it doesn't happen.

How many shootings have there been involving kids in the last month? Well, let me see, there was the mom in Idaho, the.............

[Duckhunter935]

43. See you found this OP

warned you the other one in GD might get locked as a SOP violation. At least here it seems to be OK to discuss it.

[TheCowsCameHome]

39. Gun safety should be taught in schools....

no, wait, K-5 elementary schools...nope, make that nursery schools instead....ummm, actually, how about maternity wards. Yeah, that's it - right out of the box.

Fucking sick is what this whole gun-obsessed society has become.

[Duckhunter935]

42. age appropriate gun safety should be taught

but some like you do not want that to happen and if that would help just one of these it would be worth it. I wish again the "so-called "gun safety" organizations actually taught gun safety.

[TheCowsCameHome]

47. Please do not try to tell me what I want and don't want to happen

Because you have no idea what others may think regarding this gun-toting epidemic.

[Duckhunter935]

50. OK, fair enough. So are you for that or not?

Should age appropriate gun safety be taught in schools?

something along guns are dangerous, do not touch get an adult?

older may be something like never touch and if you do never point it at anyone. Tell your parent if you see a person with a gun?

I am not talking about how to use and handle firearms. That should be an elective class in high school like any other sport.

[TheCowsCameHome]

54. Yes, preferably at no expense to taxpayers

However, this spate of non-school age 3-year-olds blowing people away would not come under a program like that.

The fact is too many stupid parents can't even brush their teeth with haing a loaded piece on them these days.

[Duckhunter935]

55. I hope you think the same for

alcohol education

[hack89]

44. So we should not teach kids the dangers of guns?

why not?

It doesn't have to be complicated and doesn't have involve an actual gun.

[TheCowsCameHome]

46. Who said we shouldn't?

As long as it's at the expense of groups like the NRA, and at what age?

[hack89]

51. The NRA has the best gun safety programs in the country

so giving them access to the schools is an excellent idea. The Eddie the Eagle program is the gold standard for children gun safety programs.

Start in Kindergarten- they are certainly old enough to understand the concept of not picking up a gun and telling an adult.

[Duckhunter935]

53. it always amazes me

that they do not understand that the NRA actually does some great work and they can not admit that fact.

They suck on the legislative side but they do excellent work on gun safety unlike those "so-called" "gun safety" groups

[Duckhunter935]

52. NRA already has the courses

and materials. But they are evil and can not be used.

As young as they start school. See a gun, do not touch, get an adult.

The Eddie Eagle program and its namesake character were developed by the National Rifle Association for children who are generally considered too young to be allowed to handle firearms. While maturity levels vary, the Eddie Eagle program is intended for children of any age from pre-school through third grade.

The program trains children to avoid causing harm when they encounter firearms, through an easily remembered litany:

Stop — to take time to remember the rest of the instructions.
Don't touch — A firearm that is not touched or acted upon by an outside force is highly unlikely to fire, or endanger a person.
Leave the area — By leaving the area the child removes himself/herself from temptation, as well as from the danger that another person might pick up the gun and negligently cause it to fire.
Tell an adult — An adult, if not personally trained in handling firearms, should know enough to seek professional assistance.

The NRA, which also sponsors training for adults in safe gun-handling, developed this program in response to news stories about deaths and injuries of youths by negligent gunfire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Eagle

But remember the NRA is the devil and evil

[Aristus]

41. One shot, two hits.

His parents must be so proud...

[Iggo]

45. Two-for one! In your fucking face, Chris Kyle!

:middlefinger:

[guillaumeb]

56. NRA is right

The only way to stop a bad baby with a gun is a good fetus with a gun. Thanks Wayne LaPierre and the rest of the NRA whores.

[lunasun]

57. The newscast was his own heroic action play by play to attend to his girlfriend not endangering

Children imo

Gun safety classes for 3 year olds ...that's the answer

[Monk06]

61. I said I wanted Peanut Butter Crunch not Crunch Berries...........

[Vinca]

62. I'm curious about why 2 little kids and another on the way are living in a motel room

with their mother and her boyfriend and the mother feels the need to keep a loaded gun nearby. I suspect the entire story might include meth and the kids would be better off somewhere else anyway.

[sweetapogee]

64. food for thought

gun control is important but in terms of numbers we get somewhat sidetracked.

http://www.keepyourchildsafe.org/child-safety-book/child-poisoning-facts-and-statistics.html

Across the United States, around 800,000 kids are rushed to the emergency room each year because of accidental poisoning. Of these, around 30 children will die, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

[TheCowsCameHome]

66. We get sidetracked? Damn right, we do...

..........with posts like this.

Let's not forget swimming pools and stray dogs while we're at it.

Jesus H Christ

[sweetapogee]

68. keep a clear eye

we should do well in 16.

[Kaleva]

65. American Toddler - the next blockbuster from Clint Eastwood.

[Kennah]

67. What was going on that placed Daddy's butt and Mommy's shoulder in alignment? --nt

[orleans]

74. i was just wondering the same thing

trying to figure out how that two for 1 happened

[petronius]

75. I would guess father standing, mother sitting a bit farther across the room, and the gun

held at around table-top height (or near the top of a bed) where the purse was probably sitting....

[Kaleva]

82. You're no fun.

[Warpy]

76. Both kids are on hold at CYF

and the parents are being charged with negligence.

It was one shot, through his arse and into her shoulder. She's still in the hospital.

She's 8 months pregnant with #3.

I do hope they've taken their gunz away from them. Living in a single motel room with 2 little kids, soon to be 3 little kids, is too close to have guns around. They need to get their butts in gear and their act together.

I also hope they find a real home soon.

[arcane1]

78. Indeed, this was a sad story even before the gunshot :(

[Warpy]

83. I know about that particular motel

and that the owners are soft touches who will accept people if they're a few dollars short of a night's fee if they've got kids. I hate it when something awful happens there since so many of their guests are desperate.

The kindest thing in the world would be to tell those folks they had a week to get rid of the guns so that they could sell them to one of the many pawn shops in this area.

Yeah, I live in the same general area where this went down. This is one of the poorer parts of a very poor state.