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Tragedy as Father Accidentally Shoots 7-Year-Old Son Outside Penn. Gun Shop

Dec. 8, 2012 3:30pm Erica Ritz

Father Accidentally Shoots 7 Year Old Son Outside Gun Shop in Pennsylvania | Craig Loughrey

Pistols are offered for sale at Freddie Bear Sports on October 18, 2012 in Tinley Park, Illinois. (Photo: Getty Images)

(TheBlaze/AP) — A man’s handgun went off as he was getting into his truck at a western Pennsylvania gun store Saturday, and the shot tragically killed his 7-year-old son, authorities said.

Joseph V. Loughrey, 44, of Sharpsville, was holding the gun while when the 9 mm handgun discharged, hitting his child Craig Allen Loughrey in the chest, according to state police. The boy died at the scene at Twigs Reloading Den in East Lackawannock Township, 60 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Investigators said Loughrey told them he didn’t realize there was a bullet still in the chamber. “This happens all too often where people think the gun was empty,” Lt. Eric Hermick told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Loughrey was trying to sell two guns at the store – one a scope rifle and the other, the handgun, state police said. The owners told Loughrey the store doesn’t buy guns so Loughrey and his son returned to the truck with them. Loughrey put the boy in the passenger seat and loaded the rifle into the truck, state police said. He was attempting to get inside and reached to put the handgun in the center storage console when it fired, they said.

“There are lots and lot of flashing lights and lots of crime tape. There was a single shot, and then the police came,” Nicole Howard, whose family owns a business next door, recalled.

Loughrey was questioned by state police, who said he was cooperative but obviously distraught. The shooting is being investigated as an accident, but Loughrey could face charges of manslaughter and negligence.

“I know that little kid was everything to him,” Mark McLaughlin of Fredonia, a friend and co-worker of Loughrey’s at Superior Well Services in Fredonia, told the Tribune-Review.

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Comments (362)

The Third Archon
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:22pm
“Police say Loughrey told them he had emptied the magazine but didn’t realize a bullet was still in the chamber.”
Rookie mistake–sad the result was so tragic this time, but that’s why you ALWAYS check the chamber after you pull out a magazine.
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- loriann12
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:28pm
  I was taught that in the Navy…every one should have been taught that who owns a gun. Heck, you even see it in the movies…called making a gun safe.
  
  Report this comment
- ThomasUSA
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:32pm
  VERY tragic… I can’t imagine the anguish that father is feeling… that moment in time you wish with all your being, it was not so…An instant, when all life has irreversibly changed. PLEASE people…Always handle firearms as if they are loaded.
  
  Report this comment
- OldSurfRat
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:54pm
  Third
  Wow this is a first.
  I have never once agreed with you but this time we are in complete agreement.
  
  No need to say anymore due to the sad fact that this child is dead.
  
  Report this comment
- Keatonc33
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:01pm
  You could also just never point a gun at your 7 year old son…. that kind of seems like common sense.
  
  Report this comment
- strawberry411a
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:07pm
  Press will have a heyday with this. Guns, Pennsylvania, death. They will dig up every piece of dirt they can on this poor man……..but we still won’t ever read Obama’s contribution to the Harvard Law Review…as editor.
  
  Report this comment
- Favored93
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:30pm
  My guns are “ALWAYS LOADED”!!!
  And unless on my hip ALWAYS LOCKED UP!!!
  My guns don’t come out unless they get used!
  
  When I was a teenager My step dad and I were out shooting and I thought after discharging the mag that the gun was empty and I was “clearing the chamber” to clean it. The gun went off and put a nice little hole in our hardwood floor. I was taught to point the gun at the ground when you do that and found out why. That incident SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME and was NEVER REPEATED!
  My guns are “ALWAYS LOADED”! EVERY GUN IS ALWAYS LOADED!
  
  Report this comment
- Capt_Gregg
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:48pm
  According to the Pittsburg Tribune-Review:
  “Loughrey was trying to sell two guns at Twiggs — one a scope rifle and the other, the handgun, state police said. The shop owner was not interested and Loughrey and his son returned to the truck. Loughrey put the boy in a booster seat on the passenger side, state police said, and he loaded the long rifle into the truck. He was attempting to get inside and reached to put the handgun in the center storage console when it fired, state police said.”
  
  Granted that I don’t have all the facts in this case, but there are some unanswered questions/concerns.
  (1) I’m not familiar with Pennsylvania, but in most states, carrying a handgun in the center console (or within easy reach of the driver) is illegal unless one has a CCL. Judging from what I’ve read, it doesn’t sound like he had taken the normally required safety course to obtain a CCL.
  (2) What kind of moron carrys handgun in the cocked position if he thinks it’s not loaded?
  (3) What kind of moron has his finger on the trigger if he’s not prepared to shoot?
  (4) I assume the shop owner didn’t examine the weapons before declining to buy them. If he did.
  I can’t imagine that he would miss seeing it was loaded.
  
  All the articles I found on this case state that “Police say Loughrey told them he had emptied the magazine but didn’t realize a bullet was still in the chamber.” Anybody with more than a cursury knowledge of firearms would have used the word “cart
  
  Report this comment
- Mapache
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:48pm
  There is not reason he should have had the gun out. You clear weapons only in a safe place. his gun should have been cased or in a holster. Very sad story but a stupid mistake.
  
  Report this comment
- RANGER1965
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:55pm
  How could you ever forgive yourself? Damn….
  
  The only real and true safety is your finger. If your finger isn’t in the trigger well, the gun doesn’t go off. It can’t.
  
  KEEP YOUR BOOGER HOOK OFF THE BANG SWITCH UNTIL YOU’RE READY TO FIRE.
  
  Report this comment
- nzkiwi
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 8:09pm
  @ Keaton
  
  This accident has devastated this man and his family. Have you no feelings at all?
  
  In my country approximately four small children are killed by cars on their own property, usually as a parent is backing down the driveway. I would have thought that people would have figured this out ,but it still happens. It is a heart-rending tragedy that chills the soul of any parent when they hear about it. This is no different.
  
  I understand that you are also a parent…
  
  Report this comment
- nzkiwi
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 8:15pm
  I left out “per year”.
  
  “…four small children per year…”
  
  Did you pull your own comment, Keaton?
  
  Report this comment
- Al Gator
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 8:56pm
  Rookies SHOULD NEVER handle semi autos until they have weened themselves on a revolver. I get this a LOT. Woman asks me: what is good for me? I says: Revolver lady, revolver. A LOT safer than a semi.
  
  And OH HELL do I catch heat from the swinging D!ck KNOW IT ALLS who INSIST “YOU GOTTA HAVE KNOCK DOWN POWER LADY AND YOU CAN ONLY GET THAT FROM A GLOCK.
  
  If I had a nickle for every body that got shot because they DIDN’T FREAKIN REALIZE TO CLEAR THE CHAMBER of that round that was pumped in! OH, But I Took The Clip Out!! WTF Happened?
  
  It’s really strange, I don’t know too many revolvers involved in accidental shootings because “we forgot the one in the chamber.”
  
  Just a pet peeve of mine. If you aren’t a professional, and you don’t practice till you drop, buy a freakin revolver. It’s five or six shots will stop ANY confrontation, and probably save a life.
  
  Now, all the Rambo’s can have at me.
  
  Report this comment
- Too_Far_Gone
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 9:40pm
  To all lefty lib wacko’s
  
  It is what you call a accident, like if he ran him over with the car .. Any chance you clowns can understand that ? Probably not ..
  
  Prayers for The Dad, family and friends.
  
  Report this comment
- CafeConservative
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 9:48pm
  Accidental revolver shootings are extremely rare. Hell it’s been what? 3 Weeks? http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/front-range/aurora/cu-dental-school-employee-loses-job-faces-charges-in-accidental-shooting-at-work
  
  Report this comment
- SendTheMeteors
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 9:55pm
  This is unimaginably tragic. I couldn’t live with myself if I’d done the same, and my sympathy and support go out to father.
  
  However, for every death like this in United States, a good guy with a gun prevents the death of an innocent person somehow. That’s what the stats show. The good guys whip out the gun and end the bad guy’s plans to murder and innocent human being. Happens all the time. Am I right or am I right? When I say guns save more lives than they end I’m sure on that point.
  
  I’m not talking about the people who shoot themselves accidentally or on purpose. And I’m not talking about people who have a gun and in the heat of the moment choose to take someone else’s life. I’m talking about regular life. Sure, in the freak event, people are killed accidentally or on purpose with guns, themselves or their kids. I’m just saying that guns mostly kill the bad guys and that incidents of guns killing kids or people who point it themselves or deaths that only result because an angry guy has a gun are rare, and gun use that prevents crime is the norm. That’s my claim and I’m stickin’ with it.
  
  Report this comment
- SuttonShimai
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 10:13pm
  The gun should have been in a HOLSTER!!!! You don’t walk around with an “empty” gun anywhere. You put it in a holster and then the trigger is covered up.
  
  Report this comment
- SendTheMeteors
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 10:36pm
  I wonder what would have happened it this guy didn’t have a gun?
  
  Report this comment
- 1911CK
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 11:02pm
  He broke of the first two rules about guns. The gun is ALWAYS loaded and Never point the gun at something you aren’t willing to destroy.
  How does he hit the boy in the chest putting the gun in the console? Horrible story.
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 11:12pm
  NZKiwi – “@ Keaton” – Unless I am missing something, this time Keaton makes an indirect point/
  “You could also just never point a gun at your 7 year old son…. that kind of seems like common sense.”
  Matters not at this point but the weapon’s barrel was not pointed to a safe direction. Makes sense to me…
  
  Keaton has been getting a heck of a lot better with his posts… Some posts, repeat some, are having thought and not emotion involved.
  
  You and I both agree in free speech but with substance, not someone just blowing smoke up our back sides. He has gotten a lot better, I am glad to say.
  
  I’ll repeat, that unless I’m missing a posting here… I’ll side with Keaton… The weapon’s barrel should have been safely downrange.
  
  Report this comment
- SimpleTruths
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 11:22pm
  TRAWBERRY411A
  Wow, way to tie two completely unrelated things together. How long have you have that old canard sitting in the chamber?
  
  Report this comment
- subic
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 11:57pm
  Yep, check the chamber while pointed in a safe direction. Very tragic.
  
  Had to drive around a dead body this morning just after daylight. The Sheriffs were just arriving on scene. Come to find out the dude was hit by a car & tragically killed. I guess they should ban cars.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 11:57pm
  SendTheMeteors
  I wonder what would have happened it this guy didn’t have a gun?
  ***
  What would happen if no law abiding citizen had a gun. A reason why crime is as low as it is, would be not just policing by peace officers, but also the herd immunity you get from firearm owners stopping a percentage of the career criminals every year. They kill them, wound, them, hold them for police or scare them off.
  
  What would have happened if he had not purchased those guns in the 1st place? He might have bought an ATV & let his son ride it. His son might not have seen age 6.
  
  All the troll, “Send the Meteors”, wants is one incident, any incident to be shaped to turn public opinion this way or that in order to affect their policies of choice. The NRA has a feature in its’ monthly magazines where it publicizes a doze or so news stories of people saving their lives by using or displaying a gun. Apparently we have to publicize like those a dozen story for every story like this one, so we can pummel the political party that “Send the Meteors” into submission.
  
  Rules for safety
  1. Choose a safe community to live in if you can afford it.
  2. Make friends with your neighbors
  3. Make your domicile & your family look like a hard target.
  4. Purchase, learn how to use & be prepared to use a firearm.
  
  Why do you need #4 after executing #1 & #2? Because you won’t know that the character of your community has changed until a crime has been committed. cont’d …
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 12:00am
  Think about it, those girls missing in NE Iowa who were bicycling in a backwater country miles from any large urban area thought they lived in a safe community. Well they were found dead. The point is that you never know when your community will change. This will happen because people move into the community & change it or the roads make it real convenient for them to mosey on down to you “safe” community.
  
  Report this comment
- Beck_Art_Obama_In_PeePee
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 12:37am
  “Tragedy as Father Accidentally Shoots 7-Year-Old Son Outside Penn. Gun Shop”
  
  Another “tragedy” is TheBlaze: trumpeting this story with … pictures of guns (only!) … just like the commie-propaganda Media does.
  
  For car “tragedies” do they show a car dealership full of shiny new cars? For disease “tragedies” do they show perverts like Ellen Degenerate making-out with other lesbians? For abortion-clinic “tragedies” do they show jars of slaughtered babies floating in preservative?
  
  Stop the propaganda, TheBlaze. STOP THE PROPAGANDA !!
  
  Report this comment
- WATER-THE-TREE
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 12:41am
  Bullet in the chamber or not, loaded or unloaded, He did not follow the NUMBER ONE RULE of gun safety, ALWAYS KEEP THE GUN POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION. Even unloaded a gun should never be pointed at a person, unless you want to shoot them. Always be aware of where the muzzle is pointed. This would have saved his boys life. I have had guns go off when I would have rather had them not, but no one was ever hurt because of this rule. Also I do not believe in a safety on a gun, a gun is not a safe thing and the word safe should never be associated with one, it is a false concept that kills many people.
  
  Report this comment
- Beck_Art_Obama_In_PeePee
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 1:12am
  “Tragedy as Father Accidentally Shoots 7-Year-Old Son Outside Penn. Gun Shop”
  
  Another “tragedy” is TheBlaze: trumpeting this story with … pictures of guns (only!) … just like the commie-propaganda Media does.
  
  For car “tragedies” do they show a car dealership full of shiny new cars? For disease “tragedies” do they show perverts like Ellen Degenerate making-out with other lesbians? For abortion-clinic-bombing “tragedies” do they show jars of slaughtered babies floating in preservative?
  
  Stop the propaganda, TheBlaze. STOP THE PROPAGANDA !!!
  
  Report this comment
- nzkiwi
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 3:28am
  @ Dadrocked
  
  I was replying to Keaton’s other post:
  
  “Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:03pm
  I’d like to take this moment to thank God for our second amendment rights! This is just a necessary casualty for our right to shoot beer cans at the creek.”
  
  This post has been pulled. I suspect that Keaton might have done it himself as it was a bit unfeeling.
  
  I don’t really hold the post against him. It was silly, but we have all said silly things that we wish we hadn’t from time to time, and he doesn’t seem like a bad guy or a troll to me.
  
  As we well know, there is no political correctness on this site, and I have been caned myself in the past for saying things which turned out to be wrong or just stupid.
  
  @ Keaton
  
  Live and learn, my friend. And stay with us – we are listening…
  
  Report this comment
- squirrel
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 3:32am
  My Grandfather taught me that more people are accidently killed with unloaded guns than with loaded ones. And what is Rule #1? Every gun is loaded until you open the chamber and physically look into and place your finger into the chamber. And Rule #2? Never point a weapon at anything you don’t intend to kill or destroy. If this man would have followed those two, rule #3 and the Finger discipline thing would not even have come into play. Tragic story, and yes a rooky mistake, but then again that is always the case with accidents. Follow the rules and nobody accidently dies.
  
  Report this comment
- nzkiwi
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 4:02am
  @ Dadrocked
  
  That said, there are one or two others on this page mining this tragedy to score an ideological point, but they came after Keaton’s remark.
  
  Shame on them. I only hope such a tragedy does not befall them, and if, God forbid, it does, then I hope they do not receive such callous point-scoring comments – here or anywhere else…
  
  Report this comment
- badswing
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 7:12am
  its why i bought a revolver as my first gun. truly a travesty and my heart bleeds for this guy and his son.
  
  Report this comment
- rangerskippy
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:33am
  left wing anti gun turd burgers will have a hay day with this one. Had the man accidentaly backed his truck over the kid, dropped him on his head, had the boy drowned in his own bathtub, fallen down the stairs, the libs would not care.
  
  In reality, accidental gun deaths are such a tiny fraction of deaths, but Rosie O Fat **** and crowd want you to believe it is a nation wide problem. More kids drowned in their own swimming pool, are killed on bicycles….. than ever die of an accidental gun accident.
  
  This man is clearly an idiot though that has no business handling fire arms. They do not just “go off” someone pulls the trigger
  
  Report this comment
- EPROM
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:17am
  I have done stupid things with guns. ANYONE who owns a gun has done something stupid with one at some point. …but as soon as there is an accidental death everone suddenly becomes Mr. Gun-handling Expert who could NEVER make a mistake like this.
  
  Report this comment
- TonyFox
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:29am
  In a way I do not feel sorry for him, he is the kind of jerk who creates more problems for us HandGunOwners. First of all is there a real need to carry one in the chamber he is not a cop. It does not take that long to put one into the chamber. After you take the Mag out, you lock the slide back look inside stick you finger in not once, not twice, but three times it is a good habit to get into. That is one of the problems to many ass holes with GUNS no safety training.
  
  Report this comment
- Capt_Gregg
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:35am
  @ Al Gator
  You nailed that one. No beginner should start out with a semi-auto.
  
  Another common mistake in choosing a handgun intended for self defense is the old “bigger is better” BS. Choose the largest caliber that you can COMFORTABLY handle, and factor in recoil response time. For myself, I like my Ruger Mk III. I can get off several aimed shots with it in the time it takes me to get off a second one with my .44 mag. I’d rather hit with a .22 than miss with a .44.
  
  Another consideration is that merely possessing a firearm means little if you aren’t proficient with it. You need to practice regularly. That’s what shooting ranges are for. If there are budget issues, keep in mind that roughly speaking, .44 mag = 60 cents/round, .40 S&W and .375 mag = 40 cents, .38 special = 35 cents, and .22 LR = 4 cents.
  
  Report this comment
- Mil-Dot
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:42am
  “Joseph V. Loughrey, 44, of Sharpsville, was holding the gun while when the 9 mm handgun discharged”
  
  The GUN didn’t discharge, the guy pulled the trigger. It is truly amazing that people don’t take the time to learn about dangerous objects before they buy them. If it is your first gun, take a course before you buy one. Anyway, what a horrible thing to happen to that family. It will haunt that poor man the rest of his life.
  
  Report this comment
- Bum thrower
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 10:01am
  Basic gun safety; Remove magazine; rack slide and VISUALLY inspect chamber to insure it’s empty; KEEP YOUR FINGER OUTTA THE TRIGGER!!!
  
  Report this comment
- diverdan
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 11:42am
  My wife and I shoot 2-3 times a month in competition and even experienced shooters make mistakes-that why there is a designated range safety officer just behind each shooter to verify no magazine and no round in the chamber upon completion of a stage. Even before the match starts, participants verify each other’s pistol has no magazine or round in the chamber. And these are very experienced shooters. Armorer courses teach you not to rely just on a visual check but also to put your finger inside the chamber to assure that it is empty (many have been shot attempting to clean what the believed was an unloaded gun). We urge everyone to take at least the basic NRA course and, if the budget permits, more advanced courses. This is indeed tragic. More so since with a little more training it would have been avoided.
  
  Report this comment
- December9
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 12:14pm
  Just one more story that will be ued by the left to ban all guns.
  
  Report this comment
- DenverKitty
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 3:19pm
  …always. Lord, please accept this child into Your loving arms. Amen.
  
  Report this comment
- Jwmajic
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 4:00pm
  Both my parents are marines I was raised around guns and the first thing I learned about guns is that they are “always loaded” and should be pointed in a safe direction at all times even if you “know” its unloaded
  My parents would take away my toy guns if I pointed them at somebody gun safety starts with the parents.
  
  Report this comment
- Ohello
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 6:21pm
  Consoles must be banned in all pickup trucks, and cars because of this, as they could be used to store dangerous articles. Young children are killed daily because of the pickup truck. All should be banned.
  
  Report this comment
- OlderCowGirl
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:59pm
  That’s why this old gal loves her .38 Special, revolver. I can see all the bullets. I know exactly how many are in my hand gun. I NEVER EVER point the barrel anywhere that matters, until I’m ready to shoot. I reasoned a long time ago that the bullet comes out the hole on the end of the barrel. If that hole at the end of the barrel is never pointed at a (good) person…they cannot be shot, regardless if your finger is on the trigger.
  
  I have the belief engraved onto my brain that any and all guns are always loaded. I’ve seen too many near misses in my life:
  
  -I shot the color TV checking out my husband’s pistol/**** trigger (forgot all his guns are always loaded)
  -Husband shot the dresser due to his mistake
  -Friend shot the bed thinking the gun was empty
  
  It’s very scarey how easily accidents can happen. I was 27 yrs old when I shot the TV. I’ve never made a gun mistake since…that accident scared me really bad….therefore: any and all guns are always loaded.
  
  I am so sorry for the father that lost his child. I know he didn’t mean to hurt his son. He may never get over this. I do hope he can forgive himself over time. One little mistake can ruin your life.
  
  Report this comment
- ozchambers
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 9:25am
  Every bit of handgun safety advice that has been given on this thread will be forever playing in his head for the rest of his life. Many have made errors in safety concerning handguns, but few have paid the unfathomable price this family and this father paid. Please say a prayer for them.
  
  Report this comment
- Bloody Sam
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 10:21am
  And…never transport a firearm unless the slide or bolt action is locked open. Period.
  Don’t follow that simple rule at my range and you get tossed.
  
  The gun is ALWAYS loaded.
  
  Report this comment
- Trigus
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 1:20pm
  It was a accident and One this man will pay for long without ever going to jail. Killing his own son.
  
  Accidents involving guns are not just isolated to those not professionally trained:
  
  DEA accidently shoots self while talking to a class (full of students) about gun safety.
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7ufT_6Kgy0
  
  There is no need to charge this man. I bet he is in his own personal hell right now.
  
  Report this comment
- Dismayed Veteran
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 1:38pm
  Al Gator
  
  I use a S&W revolver all the time. I had a Model 1911 jam on me at the worst possible time.
  
  Report this comment
- amber1953
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 1:43pm
  That’s so sad. I never considered it before, but maybe handgun owners should have to take a class. Just like hunter’s safety course, having to show the certificate in order to buy a handgun. It’s amazing how many people don’t know basic gun safety or they forget.
  
  Report this comment
- IWISHIWASINTEXAS
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 7:57pm
  You’re right KEATON (again haha we’ve agreed twice now!) you should never point a gun at anything that you do not intend to destroy! That is the number one rule in gun safety: muzzle control. This is so sad and I can only imagine the agony this father and his family must be going through.
  
  This is exactly why I always make sure again and again that my guns are empty when being handled, and NEVER point them at anyone. What a truly tragic story.
  
  Report this comment
- mensa141
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 9:02pm
  One out of 350,000,000. Some odds, huh? This is a BS article.
  
  Report this comment
- tlhonmey
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:04am
  No, this is why you always assume the gun is loaded, even if you unloaded it yourself, even if it’s in pieces, even if it’s just a toy. When dealing with weapons a little paranoia is a good thing.
  
  Report this comment
- Operator61
  Posted on December 11, 2012 at 7:09pm
  The other rookie mistake was to keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.
  
  Report this comment
mrpips
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:13pm
also, let me add, that the father should be charged with murder.

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- The Third Archon
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:26pm
  Murder is generally only charged for intentionally causing or risked deaths; accidentally caused/risked deaths, such as this one seems to be, are usually charged as manslaughter.
  
  Report this comment
- AmericaMustBeFree
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:33pm
  How very compassionate of you and some of the others here. I wonder if the shoe were on the other foot how you would feel about being charged with murder.. murder is when you have clear intent to kill someone. This was a tragedy and with people like you who needs friends!
  
  Report this comment
- mrpips
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:18pm
  If the gun is pointed at another person, it is intentional.
  
  Report this comment
- Buggs
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:31pm
  Clearing the weapon is the first thing you do after removing the magazine. Still this should never have happened even with a round in the chamber.
  
  Why did he pull the trigger? Why was it pointed center mass at his kid?
  
  All three of those things had to happen at once in order for this to happen.
  
  Report this comment
- Libertarian
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:40pm
  @MrPips
  
  If a car is pointed at someone and you hit the person or vehicle it should be murder, following your juvenile logic. Someone as inconsistent as yourself is why politics gets moved into utilitarian arguments instead of philosophical. It is about the intention or malice of the crime, not about what object you used.
  
  Get some brains kid.
  
  Report this comment
- loafer4952
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:04pm
  Sholldn’t be charged with anything. Has to live with this the rest of his life. That should be punishment enough.
  
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- Cybil
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:06pm
  mrpips, you are saying that the father intentionally shot his son? Really? What he did was negligent, stupid and irresponsible. But intentional? No.
  
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- strawberry411a
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:14pm
  Ok armchairs…no one knows what happened just yet. Slow down take a breath and wait. Counselor you should know from your first year at law school that you never assume anything.
  
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- strawberry411a
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:18pm
  This report was filed by the AP….take it with a grain………
  
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- Favored93
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:37pm
  This was NOT murder… At least if this story is accurate.
  Murder is an intentional act … this was just stupid and tragic.
  I do think he should be charged but honestly prison is not NEAR as bad as what this man will have to now face. I would rather face prison then know I killed my son.
  Pray for this family guys. They have a hard road ahead and more tragedy from this is what our enemy wants.
  Pray guys pray.
  
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- DMENTED
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 6:54am
  Too bad blatant stupidity isn’t a chargeable crime. Nonetheless, God Bless Craig, his Dad and Family and Friends in their time of grief and sorrow.
  
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- shagstar
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 10:11am
  @pibs and you sir,,should be charged with being a dumba$$.
  
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- elderbat
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 3:03pm
  pip, a peach pit has more empathy and understanding than you do. this is a horrific tragedy. an example of murder is when young bangers in some hood somewhere shoot each other, fool.
  
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- RepubliCorp
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 11:53pm
  STRAWBERRY411A
  ( Ok armchairs…no one knows what happened just yet.) I have to throw the BS flag. We know he pointed the gun at his son. We know he pulled the trigger. Unless you can tell me how this happen without the fathers help????
  
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- strawberry411a
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 12:04am
  Don’t know. This was reported by the American media. if there is a BS flag it is when the prefix says AP. I do not believe a word the US press writes. For all we know they made the damn thing up. They did with Martin in Florida.
  
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mrpips
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:12pm
1. There are no accidents when a firearms discharges and hits someone. That’s negligence.
2. Taurus firearms are cheap junk. If you are purchasing a weapon to possibly save your life someday then invest in a quality firearm.

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- Walkabout
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:55pm
  I am wondering why the gun was not in a holster or in gun case.
  
  I’ll keep what you said about Taurus firearms in mind. I gotta wonder where is his finger was. Did his finger slip, was it already inside the trigger guard or did the gun just go off?
  
  Che Guevara was of the opinion that you can always get more people, but you can’t, not quality ones. And no one is replaceable.
  
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- DannyG
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:09pm
  Taurus is not junk. Sadly, as you can see, it is very effective in doing what it was designed to do. I have a Taurus PT-92 and what I’m trying to figure out is why he would put his finger on the trigger while climbing into his truck? The PT-92 has a safety that allows you to carry cocked and locked or it also allows you to drop the hammer, even on a loaded round without it firing. As another commenter said, it is a rookie mistake and sadly his son was at the wrong end of his mistake.
  
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- mrpips
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:16pm
  He most likely pulled the trigger. I’ve only seen one gun go off without pulling the trigger and that was a modified race gun at a USPSA match.
  
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- Elena2010
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:20pm
  This is why I love Walther firearms — not junk, fires each and every time! The backstrap can be swapped out to better fit your hand, so it’s not one size fits all.
  
  Yes, it should have been a lot of things. If he’s CCL, he should have had that bad-boy in a holster. If not, why was it “out” of the box it came in? Why was there a round chambered? If no box and no CCL, why was it not locked open?
  
  Rookie mistake that was terribly costly for all! Rule #1 — all weapons are loaded and ready to fire until you make them otherwise.
  
  I loved what the character Jo Danville had to say on CSI: NY last year when faced w/an attacker who had her gun and spilled round fm the mag. Just before she shot the bugger, “Most cleaning accidents happen because they forget about the round in the chamber.” Bang.
  
  When I clean my weapon, and there is no such thing as a weapon that is too clean, I drop the mag, clear the chamber, then disassemble the piece.
  
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- Elena2010
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:25pm
  Most any gun can accidentally discharge if handled improperly. I had a Marine drop a Colt .45 w/multiple safeties and put a hole in the guard shack. That is one weapon designed not to discharge accidentally, but … Stuff happens.
  
  With a single/double action weapon, you are prudent to store it uncocked. Perhaps this is what happened here, though I am unfamiliar w/this particular pistol.
  
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- Cybil
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:08pm
  Again you are clearly wrong. Taurus makes excellent hand guns. The Judge? The Taurus was not at fault here. It was an irresponsible shooter. The gun is not the problem people, it’s the person behind it.
  
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- Heartland_Patriot
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:47pm
  Taurus firearms are no longer “cheap junk”. They once were fairly low quality, but they are now made to a much higher standard than they used to be. They aren’t flashy or fancy, but they WORK. The fault lies in the mishandling of the weapon by the individual, not in the firearm. I’m curious why the man had his finger in the trigger guard of a loaded firearm when climbing into the vehicle. Very sad incident, to be sure.
  
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- CafeConservative
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 10:00pm
  If someone who accidentally discharges a weapon should be guilty of murder, you should be guilty of criminal stupidity each time you put your fingers on a keyboard.
  
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- Lt_Scrounge
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 10:00pm
  Taurus guns are such junk that they actually come with a lifetime warranty, manufacturer all of their own parts in house on state of the art equipment that they designed and patented. Taurus was a Smith & Wesson and Beretta contractor in the past. They may have had quality issues 25 years ago, but that was a long time ago. Modern Taurus weapons are high quality today. You sound like the guy I heard at an Oklahoma City gun show in 1984 who said he didn’t want any no name gun like Sig Sauer, he wanted a Smith & Wesson or a Colt.
  
  This is a senseless tragedy. Lack of common sense and proper gun handling.
  
  Report this comment
- hcartexas
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:16am
  Taurus firearms are cheap junk??? Taurus, knocks off other popular firearms, using the materials, manufacturing techniques, and technology. You should read more.
  
  Report this comment
- firedsilver.ok
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:56am
  Mrpips
  1. Either you are a “gun snob” or an idiot
  2. You should educate yourself on Taurus pistols. Maybe even try owning, carrying and firing one. Or you can keep talking out your a##, your choice.
  3. Idiotic statements such as yours only serve to confuse new shooters and discourage those present and future gunowners that can’t afford the “gun snob” approved list of firearms.
  
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- RavenGlenn
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:15pm
  As others have pointed out, Taurus does not make cheap junk. The Judge is one hell of a fine weapon. Not to mention their Raging Bull series as well.
  
  Report this comment
neckcarjim
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:01pm
It might seem to be a little cold of me but my take on the news accounts of the incident is the dad was irresponsible with the firearm. The weapon should have been cleared and it should have been secured before he got into his truck. It’s my opinion as a gun owner that the father should be charged with at minimum reckless endangerment.
We as gun owners can not give excuses for irresponsibility.

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- Dr Vel
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:48pm
  No excuse for this dad nor for anyone holding a gun. You know the status of it’s state of readiness at ALL TIMES and you never put your finger inside the trigger guard until ready to fire, which means aiming at the target. No one should hold a gun until they have demonstrated full understanding of all aspects of safety and proficiency. Unless being trained at the time and only then while being directly supervised. While you may wish to call it an accident in reality there are no accidents with a gun unless there was a failure of safety mechanisms. Even then if you think you have a handle on proper use of it you know the possibility of a malfunction is real which means at all times you know where the weapon is pointing. Not a single case of accidental injury or death from a gun has ever occurred without the gun being pointed at the victim (excepting ricochet). Never once have I ever through stupidity put someone in unwarranted danger by ignoring even the remote chance an accident could occur. Unless you just checked it and it has not left your hand you must assume it is chambered and ready to fire. This avoids the possibility someone else changed its state of readiness while you were unaware of the fact. Similarly you always keep in mind the chance the gun has a worn down sear or defective hammer-block of any one of a long list of things which could go wrong. The man had it pointed at the child with his finger on the trigger. No excuse ever, by age 7 I knew these facts.
  
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CommonSenseTalk
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:57pm
Who carries a gun in the open? Why would this gun not have been secured in the gun shop? Have you ever seen a gun shop that will let you load a gun in it? Is there any gun shops that allows loaded guns? I’m not buying the media hype, something is wrong with this story, even for a dumb azz gun owner.

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- AmericanStrega
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:09pm
  They were probably at a shooting range within the gun shop. This situation is very sad and the father will probably never take for granted his firearm is empty. Now, since the football player murdered his girlfriend and killed himself, we see the media screaming for more gun control. The same media will continue, using this horrible situation, as a means to push the gun control aganda.
  
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- guntotinsquaw
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:12pm
  UMMM..YUP, gun stores in my state allow open and concealed carry.
  
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- firedsilver.ok
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 10:00am
  Who carries a gun in the open? Free men carry guns in the open. Sadly too many of you don’t know or truly value your freedom.
  
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Teufel Hunden
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:57pm
It is a rare gun that discharges by itself. 9.9 times out of ten a finger is in the trigger guard when the gun discharges. If the shot goes wild and doesn’t hit someone, then at the least the person needs to be bitch slapped, on the spot, preferably in public. If the round hits someone, even if it’s s member of their family, then they should be charged accordingly. People need to be held accountable for their actions. ALL people!

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FloridaFarmGirl
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:56pm
Dear God , I am deeply saddened by the cluelessness by people from the north. And y’all call us stupid rednecks? My prayers go out to the little boy and his mother, since it is apparent that his father is beyond hope to let this happen. Rest in peace little man.

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- toiletclogga
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:05pm
  You do realize that “Rednecks” origin is West Virginia, a stone’s throw from where this happened, don’t you? It was an accident, get over it. They happen everywhere, even in the South.
  
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- macpappy
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:13pm
  Toilet
  Even tho the term was used briefly during the 1920s to 30 because some union thugs wore a scarf hardly qualifies as the origins of the term.
  the term “redneck” originally referred to 17th century Scottish Presbyterians who signed anti-Anglican proclamations in their own blood and wore red scarves or kerchiefs to signal their beliefs.
  Mainly however the term was applied to poor white Southerners because long hours working in the fields caused a permanent sunburn on the back of their necks. But there may be more to it than that. The term “redneck” first became truly widespread during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when food was scarce in the rural South, and many poor people subsisted on a diet composed largely of pork fat and hominy grits (made from corn). Such a diet is lacking in niacin, and severe niacin deficiency produces a disease called “pellagra,” one of the symptoms of which is a striking reddening of the skin. Pellagra was endemic to the American South during the Depression, and since sunlight worsens the dermatitis produced by the disease, the sunburned necks of poor white agricultural workers would have been even more noticeable, perhaps increasing the popularity of the term “redneck.”
  
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- toiletclogga
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:39pm
  Hey Mac, I’m aware of the other uses. I just thought the statement by Floridafarmgirl was assinine.
  
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- DREDGE
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:48pm
  Don’t feel that bad there are a lot of idiots up here that shoot themselves also!!!
  More frequently then I’m sure you hear of.
  
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- macpappy
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 8:20pm
  toiletclogga
  Well, it was asinine.
  
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VoteRightDammit
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:38pm
“WineDude” is right!

This is why we need to immediately outlaw Penn. gun shops…. cause, Penn. gun shops kill !

Geeze there is no end to the stupidity of the Lunatic Left.

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- macpappy
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:15pm
  athiest
  I not so sure the left is lunitic, as much as just plain stupid. Know what I mean, pal.
  
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- VoteRightDammit
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:52pm
  GadHater:
  
  The Lunatic Left WOULD do those things — in spades — except for the fact the Lunatic Left is, generally, the most cowardly and nausea-producing group on earth. That’s why you so salivate over passive-aggressive attacks (such as misusing the legal system, misusing blatant propaganda, targeting the most vulnerable, etc.
  
  Sounds all to familiar and “at home”, doesn’t it?
  
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John 1776
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:30pm
I live in PA, even with a CCL, you cannot have a live round in the gun when it is in your car, and the weapon and ammo must be stored in different locations. (ex- Gun in trunk, ammo in glove box.) Because the ramifications are so huge, you tend to be neurotic about making sure the weapon is clear before heading for the car from the range or from the home. This usually involves releasing it from lock-back after the magazine is removed or cleared, then putting the gun in its carrying case or bag un-cocked. Why the gun would be on his person while getting into the car baffles me, let alone cocked.

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- scootertrash44312
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:10pm
  i have a ccl for pa and you are absolutely incorrect
  
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- DaMule1977
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:34pm
  I’ve had a CCL permit for PA for almost 10yrs…everything you said is absolutly wrong. I have no idea where you got that information, but for god sakes man…don’t speak on things for which you have no clue.
  
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- macpappy
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:20pm
  If what you say is true, your CCW is worthless. My weapon is loaded all the tiime, and in my hands it is always safe……until needed.
  
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- hoaxandchange
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:40pm
  In Pennsylvnia we have LTCF (License To Carry Firearm) not a ccl or ccp or ccw. Having such “laws” as you state we do would maake a LTCF worthless. I don’t carry a gun to throw at someone or scare them. Its always loaded and my LTCF permits me to do so, whether on foot or in a car. Also, in PA we can openly carry a firearm without a license. With some restrictions.
  
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- John 1776
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:20pm
  18 Pa.C.S. § 6106.1:
  (a) General rule.– Except as provided in Title 34 (relating to game), no person shall carry a loaded pistol, revolver, shotgun or rifle, other than a firearm as defined in section 6102 (relating to definitions), in any vehicle. The provisions of this section shall not apply to persons excepted from the requirement of a license to carry firearms under section 6106(b)(1), (2), (5) or (6) (relating to firearms not to be carried without a license) nor shall the provisions of this section be construed to permit persons to carry firearms in a vehicle where such conduct is prohibited by section 6106.
  
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- SANCTIONEDUSAPATRIOT
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:45pm
  JOHN1776:
  LMAO! I think you need to read and absorb your last post of the PA law again and again until it finally sinks into that dense skull of yours, here again, right from your post, is the highlight that makes you a blithering moron:
  
  “… The provisions of this section SHALL NOT APPLY to PERSONS EXCEPTED from the REQUIREMENT of a LICENSE TO CARRY firearms under section 6106(b)(1), (2), (5) or (6) (relating to firearms not to be carried without a license) nor shall the provisions of this section be construed to permit persons to carry firearms in a vehicle where such conduct is prohibited by section 6106.”
  
  Have a nice day!
  
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- claymoremacm
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 8:45pm
  in most states you can not have a long gun in a vehicle with a round in the chamber CCW or not But your hand gun can have one in the chamber if you have a CCW. 1911 locked and cocked in a holster that snaps between fame and hammer
  
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- Gnostyk
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 7:53am
  In PA, it’s called a License to Carry Firearms (LTCF). In a “City of the First Class,” ie, Philadelphia, you must carry concealed, but in upstate PA, many people open-carry.
  
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- mazzefr
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 9:47am
  In PA, it’s called a License to Carry Firearms (LTCF). In a “City of the First Class,” ie, Philadelphia, you must carry concealed, but in upstate PA, many people open-carry.
  
  @gnostyk. Your understanding of PA law is incorrect. Open Carry is legal in Philthydelphia but you must have an LTCF to do so. Open carry is legal in the rest of the state (except some restricted areas) even without an LTCF. Anyone interested in PA gun laws should check out PAFOA.ORG to get the right info.
  
  Regarding this incident, it’s a terrible accident resulting from negligence. Two of the most basic rules of safety are to treat every firearm as if it were loaded and never point it at anything you aren’t willing to destroy. Very sad.
  
  Report this comment
cristo52
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:28pm
A revolver is always safer. You can see if the weapon is loaded or not, but you must always assume a weapon, any weapon – a short or a long gun – is loaded and treat it as such, keeping it aimed down and away from any person near it – or yourself.

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- Mako Dragoon
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:26pm
  My semi-auto pistol is easy to tell if it’s loaded.
  
  This is clearly a case of negligence and should be treated in same manner as if he accidentally ran over his son.
  
  Report this comment
- Heartland_Patriot
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:53pm
  @MAKO DRAGOON: Exactly correct. Negligent death.
  
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Swimming-with-the-Sharks
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:26pm
Bullet in the chamber. No safety on. Barrel pointing towards the kid. That is the best recipe for “stupid” I’ve seen in a while.

I feel bad for the father. I would never recover from this if I accidentally shot and killed one of my kids.

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- strawberry411a
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:13pm
  No one knows the details of what happened yet.
  
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- chfields62
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 12:37am
  The details are simple, he had a loaded gun, it was pointed at his son and was fired and the son is dead. Those are undeniable facts. It is the utmost of negligence and stupidity and should have never happened. Like others have said, modern guns don’t go off by “accident” or by dropping them, you have to pull the trigger. He broke every rule of safe gun handling and it is nothing short of criminal negligence. He should be charged and convicted accordingly. I do feel for him and his family, it is a senseless, tragic waste of life, but he has to pay the price. I know that sounds cold, especially since he has to live with killing his own child, but justice needs to be served.
  I’m sure the lunatic libatards will try to use this to push for more gun control, but here is a link everyone should read regarding gun control and crime/suicide rates……http://www.wapenwet.info/wapenbezitcriminaliteitEnglish.pdf
  
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- strawberry411a
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 1:25pm
  Meaning what? “It was pointed..” …did he point to as in aimed at…did he have it holstered and it was aiming…did it slip…what ? The FACT of the matter is you don’t KNOW the facts yet. This is being reported by a hostile press….they live for days like this. Just wait and see what the truth is. The Martin case is a perfect example of what the press is capable of. They have an agenda and this is one that fulfills their dreams. DO NOT TRUST THE AMERICAN PRESS IN ANY MANNER.
  
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Hoax And Chains
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:26pm
Prayers for the father. Unfortunately, some people should not be allowed to own guns. A gun deserves respect and almost paranoid attention. Carrying a sidearm does not one a firearms expert any more than walking into an auto garage makes someone a mechanic. Prayers to the whole family.

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- rationaldiscourse
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:00pm
  Hmm, how hypocritical. Second amendment for everyone! Except for some…
  
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caddieman
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:24pm
it’s the “unloaded” gun that kills, respect guns and treat everyone as if it is loaded, and never point the barrel toward anything you don’t want to shoot

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- caddieman
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:34pm
  I think if he pulled the trigger while it was pointed at his son, he is an idiot.
  
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Isis79
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:13pm
Bad things happen to people everyday and will not stop just because the government or anyone else tells you they can control it through laws and wishing it so. That is the nature of life and human beings in general. Let the msm drown themselves in this story because it changes nothing. The 2nd amendment was created for a purpose far beyond home defense and hunting while our current government is the best example yet of why it was put in place. Freedom never lies nor dies but Obama promises both.

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mattmo79
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:12pm
Terrible tragedy, however must be more to the story. Guns don’t just go off, was it cocked, was the safety on or off? The chamber should have been opened and double checked.

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- shagstar
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 10:23pm
  no excuse. this man screwed-up and killed his kid,,,,i cherish my 2nd amd right as a vet and will not tolerate an excuse for his negligence! total FUBAR
  
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normalmom
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:05pm
This is so sad. The dad was climbing into the truck with his finger on the trigger? What an idiot, keep your finger off the trigger unless firing. Yea gun controllers will go nuts to use this to try and take out guns, again. The guy obviously is too stupid to own a gun in the first place.

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- flyoverbob
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:35pm
  Everytime I see one of these stories,I just cant imagine how anyone can point a gun at another person.I learned from an early age to never point a gun at someone.When I was in the military I learned to always clear a weapon.That means you look into the chamber to make sure it is clear.I always look in the chamber when I empty a weapon or when someone hands me one
  
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- CommonSenseTalk
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:48pm
  Who carries a gun in the open? Why would this gun not have been secured in the gun shop? Have you ever seen a gun shop that will let you load a gun in it? Is there any gun shops that allows loaded guns? I’m not buying the media hype, something is wrong with this story, even for a dumb azz gun owner.
  
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Voice1percent
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:01pm
A tragic accident no doubt. I was with some friends shooting recently. One of them hadn’t fired in a while, I decided to act as the range officer for this outing. Luckily I was right beside him when after firing a rifle he thought his mag was empty. I was forcing the rifle down onto the counter when he pulled the trigger and a round cooked off. The rifle was pointing downrange and fortunately I was already acting to safe the weapon. But accidents do happen all too easily regardless of how much experience. However, this dad was in Pa, in Pa a safety course is required before owning a weapon, how is it he wasn’t aware the gun was loaded? I could see this happening at the range right after shooting but, how do you leave the range without clearing and checking your weapon? We need more info about this, doesn’t sound right.

Before the costas crowd goes berserk I wonder how many of our troops have been killed due to obama’s lack of attention…. I thought so.

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- Winedude
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:29pm
  Obama was right…y’all have nothing to hang onto beyond your guns and religion. And I do believe he was referring to Pennsylvania when he made that statement 8 years ago. This story is truly tragic and the first thing y’all do is rant about Bob Costas…absurd mental midgets!!!
  
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- Patriot Z
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:30pm
  exactly, this is pure stupidity that gun control nut will try to make the most out of. like you said how in the hell can you leave a gun range without checking your gun first? i keep my gun loaded but not chambered and i check it and clean once a month. i never chamber it and I still pop the clip out and check the port. its common sense its idiot like this that will make criminals out of all of us because it give statists more ‘ammo’ to take away our 2nd amendment or “regulate it” as they like to claim
  
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- catty
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:53pm
  you have to be joking
  
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- chips1
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:20pm
  WINEDUDE:
  Are you trying to say that Obama is half-cocked?
  
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- Walkabout
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 6:32pm
  Bob Costas is right “people with guns kill people”.
  
  So he can explain this
  
  “Taxi driver who knocked down eight men by driving cab ‘like a bowling ball’ after row is jailed for 15 years
  Majid Rehman ploughed into six railmen and two innocent passers-by after a petty dispute”
  
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2244640/Taxi-driver-knocked-men-driving-cab-like-bowling-ball-row-jailed-15-years.html
  
  So following th Bob Costas genius superstar method take away guns, cars, knives, arms, legs, … from people.
  
  Report this comment
nostromo
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:00pm
I have about had it with people who own semi autos and fail to clear the chamber after dropping the magazine. Anyone who has a semi auto has to learn how to use the gun properly and if they are too dumb or absent minded they should stick to revolvers or not own guns at all. This gives the anti gun people more ammo to disarm Americans.

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- Welcome Black Carter
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 7:04pm
  The last election proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, over half of the country does not have enough common sense to own and maintain firearms. If you could remove firearms from obammy voters you would eliminate gun crime by over 95%.
  
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DirtyHarry7
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 3:59pm
Leadnotfollow, you’re wrong. Lots of people carry C1. I’m not one of them but lots do.

Doughuffman, you’re almost correct. All guns are considered ALWAYS loaded even when you know they’re not. The only way to insure you never accidently shoot someone is to never point at any person you aren’t going to shoot. Heck, I just cleaned my Glock 26 an hour ago after shooting, and I won’t even point the slide at anybody even when it’s off the frame and totally incapable of firing. :-)

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:56pm
  Oh, well said, for a GLOCK user.
  
  An unloaded gun functions only as an expensive paperweight. My SA 1911 is Condition one ATM, the DA/SA H&K USPc is Condition two safety off. The Luger is C-4 in the safe.
  
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- LeadNotFollow
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:55pm
  HARRY – C1 is cocked and locked. Obviously, this father’s gun was cocked, but not locked.
  Too many handguns do not have an external safety. All it takes is a finger on the trigger.
  Too many people have a very bad, deadly habit of putting their finger on the trigger when picking up a handgun.
  
  That’s why the average citizen should never keep a bullet in the chamber. It’s much better to pray that you can get your gun cocked, if ever in a dangerous situation, than to kill an innocent bystander through negligence.
  
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- hcartexas
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:20am
  DIRTYHARRY… give me a break.
  
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JDtheJEEP
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 3:54pm
I feel for the father and family of that little boy. My prayers go out to them.

In retrospect, why was the father holding the gun? Why wasn’t it in a case or holster? Such a tragedy. Sadly, the anti-gun crowd will use this incident to push their agenda. I wouldn’t be surprised if Obama himself doesn’t get press time from this.

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- bava
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:02pm
  You lot say this each time. “The anti-gun people…” Well, it didn’t happen last time or the time before it. Did it? No one said Jack. Nice tactic you got there. Change the subject and deflect the blame. Two thumbs up.
  
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- neverending
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:05pm
  That would not surprise me one bit.
  
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aproudinfidel
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 3:52pm
Once again a person causes a gun death, but the msm will latch onto it as gun violence. I feel sorry for the father and, especially, his son and family, but he had no business with a gun in his hands. This makes a great case for mandatory training.

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- 1776freedomofspeech
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:02pm
  Horsesh!t on your mandatory training cr@p.
  
  You can’t fix stupid.
  
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- CommonSenseTalk
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:52pm
  How can you train a father to not point a gun at your child and pull the trigger. Will gun shops have to make a post signs now to not point a gun at you child and pull trigger?
  
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- VanceUppercut
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 10:25am
  @aproudinfidel
  
  “Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that, on average, one child died every three days in accidental incidents in the United States from 2000 to 2005.”
  
  Did the MSM make that up?
  
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LeadNotFollow
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 3:49pm
NEVER put a bullet in the chamber unless you plan to use it immediately!
Everyone should know this rule. If you don’t follow this rule, then you are too stupid to own a gun.

Were there any witnesses? How do we know it was an accident? It may have been a murder.

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- caddieman
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:32pm
  whats the point of carrying if you have to load a round in to use it?
  
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- markdido
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:49pm
  Sorry, I don’t ever remember being taught that “rule”
  
  A concealed firearm without a round in the chamber is an expensive, shiny paperweight.
  
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- WiredRight
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:55pm
  I always have one in the pipe. Things can go bad fast and you don’t know what kind of situation you’ll find yourself in when you might have to use your gun. What if you have already been shot and don’t have the strength to rack the slide?
  
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- LeadNotFollow
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 5:42pm
  Too many handguns do not have an external safety. All it takes is a finger on the trigger.
  Too many people have a very bad, deadly habit of putting their finger on the trigger when picking up a handgun.
  That’s why there should not be a bullet in the chamber.
  
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- WiredRight
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:03pm
  “All it takes is a finger on the trigger.”
  “Too many people have a very bad, deadly habit of putting their finger on the trigger when picking up a handgun.”
  
  If that’s the case, then those people have no business owning a firearm much less carrying one. You need to change your rule above to:
  
  Never put your finger on the trigger unless you want the gun to go boom. Everyone should know this rule. If you don’t follow this rule, then you are too stupid to own a gun.
  
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- macpappy
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 8:33pm
  I carry my 357 revolver with the hammer on an empty chamber, but I can still get a shot off with no loss of speed, however I carry Glock with one in the pipe, safety on. Hell, it’s a gun, at least give it the respect you would a power saw. This is a case of terrible neglegence on the fathers part, or it was much more sinister than I care to imagine.
  
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- hcartexas
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:18am
  Leadnotfollow….. Someday, somone will find you, dead, with a half cocked pistol, and an empty wallet. Why on Earth would you carry an UNLOADED gun?
  
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- hcartexas
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 8:24am
  MACPAPPY…. you “carry a Glock with the safety on”… you freaking retarded liar!!! Glocks dont have a “safety” for you to put on. And BTW, you nube… why carry an empty chamber, if you knew anything about firearms, it is IMPOSSIBLE for your 357 to discharge, even when dropped directly on the hammer. MACPAPPY… you should drown your offspring, and sit in your garage with the motor on.
  
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- DirtyHarry7
  Posted on December 9, 2012 at 12:55pm
  Hacar, wiredright, and markdil-do, do yourself a favor and Google AD and NDs and you will learn that they happen to even the most experienced gun handlers.
  
  We are human being and as such we are capable of being distracted and making a mistake. Unless you’ve never locked your keys in your car, tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, or hit your thumb with a hammer, you’re not as prone to a mistake as you think. Why risk innocent peoples’ lives because of your Rambo complex and inability to do simple math in your head? Stats say you’ll likely never have to draw your gun. Stats further say that, in the unlikely event you DO have to draw, you won’t have to shoot. Stats further say that if you have to draw, and have to shoot, it is extremely unlikely that C1 will have made any difference.
  
  Admit it, you carry C1 coz you’ve been told you’ll look like a noob if you don’t, right? Do the math yourself and you will discover that carrying C1 gives you a far better chance of shooting your grandson who’s crawling on your lap, than in needing C1 to save the day.
  
  Lest you offer another tired adage, I have an indoor range at my house and send far more lead down range than the average 10 guys combined. It’s NOT about experience and competence.
  
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- WiredRight
  Posted on December 10, 2012 at 2:45am
  There is so much wrong with what you’re saying but I’m just too tired to get in to it all right now. About half of what you just wrote is beyond stupid.
  
  You said: Stats further say that, in the unlikely event you DO have to draw, you won’t have to shoot.
  
  I say BS! I’m not in law enforcement… It’s not my job to attempt to stop or detain someone. In other words, if my gun comes out of its holster, I’ve already made the decision to pull the trigger. Sorry, but there is no middle ground.
  
  You said: Stats further say that if you have to draw, and have to shoot, it is extremely unlikely that C1 will have made any difference.
  
  My girlfriend and I was robbed at gunpoint while parked in her pickup. This was in California so I couldn’t carry. When it was said and done all was fine except for my girlfriend getting fondled, me getting punched when I grabbed his hand, $200 bucks and a stereo later.
  
  There was a point when they passed the shotgun over the top of the cab and if I had a gun, I would have shot through my jacket when I knew the shotgun was in the hands of the guy on my side. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have had time to rack the slide…
  
  You said: Do the math yourself and you will discover that carrying C1 gives you a far better chance of shooting your grandson who’s crawling on your lap, than in needing C1 to save the day.
  
  Are you kidding me? Really? Please consider taking some gun safety classes.
  
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DougHuffman
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 3:49pm
All guns are LOADED until they are not. Cover with the MUZZLE that only which would be destroyed. Keep your finger off the TRIGGER. Know your TARGET and what’s beyond.

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Oneirishman
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 3:43pm
Stupid friggin moron! Why is it everyone, but this idiot, knows always ck the chamber. And not by pointing it at your kid and squeezing the trigger.

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- aproudinfidel
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 3:50pm
  Wait till Costass gets hold of this.
  
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- neverending
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:06pm
  You are so right – “Stupid friggin Moron” – plain and simple
  
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- pantokrator
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 4:07pm
  It’s not that everyone knows. A lot of people don’t know. The reason why you don’t ever hear about people who do know a gun without a clip can still be chambered is because they know it, and are therefore far more careful.
  
  But this man is another idiot who apparently doesn’t know modern firearms 101. There are clips/mags with bullets, then there are CHAMBERS WITH BULLETS! The chambered bullet is far more dangerous, too.
  
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1776freedomofspeech
Posted on December 8, 2012 at 3:41pm
Poor father. Prayers to him and his family in this tragedy. Brothers and Sister pray for the father.

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- SaturdaysWarrior76
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 7:23pm
  amen.
  
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- Eastinfection
  Posted on December 8, 2012 at 10:26pm
  ditto
  
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