Authorities: 4-year-old picks up Tenn. deputy’s gun from a bed, fatally shoots officer’s wife

[Poll_Blind]

Authorities: 4-year-old picks up Tenn. deputy’s gun from a bed, fatally shoots officer’s wife

ASHVILLE, Tenn. — Authorities say a 4-year-old boy grabbed a loaded gun at a family cookout and accidentally shot and killed the wife of a Tennessee sheriff’s deputy.

Investigators say Wilson County Deputy Daniel Fanning on Saturday was showing his weapons to a relative in a bedroom of his Lebanon home when the toddler came in and picked up a gun off the bed. Sheriff Robert Bryan says the weapon discharged, hitting 48-year-old Josephine Fanning.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. The child is not related to her or her husband.

Bryan says the shooting was a terrible accident and that within seconds of Fanning placing the gun on the bed, the toddler picked it up.

This really happened and that's about all I can say about it at the moment. I own firearms, I've hunted (briefly, when I was much younger) and target shot on occasion as an adult. I am extremely careful around guns because guns are like d'jinn- great power just waiting for you to turn your back for a moment and destroy your life in an instant.

Americans, on the whole, are arguably not psychologically whole or actualized enough to exercise the responsibility required in their ownership. I believe in the right to bear arms and at the same time I believe that most Americans just don't have the mettle to own them. In my life alone, I've almost been shot in the face, almost accidentally shot myself in the head, and had a loaded gun pointed at me by an adult in order to menace my mother and I.

Every single on of those instances occurred before I was 14 years old.

On the rare, rare occasions I go shooting with friends, I make sure to pay careful attention to how each of them handles their loaded gun and won't go shooting with some otherwise great people simply because they don't know what they're holding in their hands.

Loaded gun on the bed.

Good Christ.

PB

[msongs]

1. these incidents are NOT "accidents' they have distinct causes nt

[Bolo Boffin]

2. So, Mr. LaPierre, what's the only thing that can stop a toddler with a gun? n/t

[Loudly]

3. That's carelessness by a professional LEO who should know better.

As tragic as this story is, it has nothing to do with the public policy of allowing guns and ammunition in the hands of the general public.

Other than to demonstrate what a high level of care is required, and that average citizens are even more vulnerable to screwing the pooch.

[Beaverhausen]

4. I think it's a great argument against armed guards at schools

Jesus Christ this is a sheriffs deputy showing off his loaded gun to a friend at a party.

[Control-Z]

6. "Cuz, you know,

what good is having a cool gun if you can't show it off? Stupid, stupid people.

[SoCalMusicLover]

5. A Four Year Old

I'm sure there won't be any lifetime scarring for this child.

[Logical]

7. This should be jail time. No doubt about it. Careless and negligent. Like drunk driving. n-t

[SoCalMusicLover]

8. Very True

But I would be surprised if anything happened. All his police buddies will rally around him, and say how traumatized he is, and how he'll have to live with it for the rest of his life. Blah, blah, blah.

He should be prevented from ever holding a badge, but unfortunately, he'll probably be embraced by fellow officers.

No thoughts will be given to the dead woman, except from her family. She made the wrong choice in a guy I guess. Costly error.

[lindysalsagal]

9. NRA: "If the wife were packing, (in her bathrobe and slippers) she'd be alive today."

More guns is the answer! We need to arm ourselves against toddlers!