Girl, 7, critical after being shot by a 10 years old

[AlphaCentauri]

A teenage girl stepped off a school bus about noon Thursday and was stopped by police tape surrounding a North Las Vegas home.

She uttered three panicked words: “That’s my house.”

The teen collapsed when she learned why police were surrounding the home near Centennial Parkway and Commerce Street.

Hours before, a 7-year-old girl was shot in the face by a 10-year-old boy inside the home on the 500 block of Blackbird Knoll Court, North Las Vegas police said.

The girl was in critical condition Thursday afternoon at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

A neighbor whisked the crying teen away.

The shooting occurred at 8:30 a.m. Police believe the boy shot the girl with a handgun, officer Chrissie Coon said.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/45706747.html

[elleng]

1. SO lets let everyone have handguns,

AND ammunition. After all, GUNS don't kill, KIDS do.

[paulsby]

2. better ban bathtubs then

far more kids that age die in the bathtub from drowning, than from firearms.

plus, baths aren't a civil right.

[Vinca]

5. Only difference - mom doesn't get to scrape brains off the rug.

Maybe the kid should have waited until he went camping in a national park.

[Fumesucker]

6. Kids drown each other in bathtubs?

I did not know that.

/Johnny Carson

[polmaven]

10. Well sure, 'cause

that's what bathtubs are for, isn't it? I mean, like guns, bathtubs have no purpose other than killing.

[Pavulon]

16. Ban Organo Phosphates..Better yet, ban stupid people

who leave weapons unsecured. Criminal act in my state.

[paulsby]

17. what matters is the result, not the purpose

hth

[polmaven]

19. It is a ridiculous analogy....

[Lorien]

38. Defending the indefensible. The purpose DOES matter

bathtubs are made for washing oneself, a guns sole purpose is to take life. It's a tool that was used intentionally to do that in this case. You cannot rationally defend that.

[Pavulon]

39. So a 10 year old formed intent to kill here?

that makes this a death penalty murder case. You guys are off the wall. Mommy or Daddy should be criminally liable for leaving a weapon unsecured. Same as leaving blasting caps laying around for kids to find.

I can and will defend my legal right to own firearms, my rights will remain unlinked to criminal assholes who use them to do bad things.

[paulsby]

54. criminal intent is "iff'y"

in my state, a 10 yr old is PRESUMED incapable of forming the requisite mindset to establish intent of ANY crime.

that is rebuttable, but the burden's on the state.

under 9, and it's irrebuttable. iow, for example,a 7 yr old could blow up a building with 1,000 people and could not be charged with a crime.

don't know the laws in the state this occurred.

[muffin1]

28. Does a gun have a purpose other than killing?

[Pavulon]

30. Poke holes in paper

tin cans. Compete with others poking holes in paper with rifles that cost more than a used KIA.

Responsible party is person who left an unsecured weapon in easy access for a child.

[spin]

35. Sure, one is self defense...two stories from my own family...

My daughter who was 17 or 18 years old stopped an intruder who was forcing the sliding glass door of our home open by pointing a large caliber revolver at him. He left.


S&W Model 25-2 45 acp

My mother, long departed, stopped a rapist who attacked her while she was walking home from work by firing two rounds from a S&W Ladysmith revolver over his head. He ran. This incident occurred in the 1920 time frame.

With the LadySmith tucked away in her handbag, the independent woman of the early 1900s had at her disposal seven rounds of a cartridge that was generally accepted as suitable for personal protection in those halcyon days of yore. The revolver also came to be popularly known as the "Bicycle Pistol." The overall package was 6" long, weighed less than 10 ozs. when equipped with a 3.5" barrel, and was sufficiently small to allow concealment in a wide variety of circumstances.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_153_25/ai_75211982/



No one was shot or killed in either incident. I used to take my daughter to the Tampa Police Pistol range and she loved shooting the big .44 mag sized revolver because of the attention she attracted. A little girl who weighed less than 100 pounds soaking wet shooting an enormous revolver would halt activity on the range. She was, and still is, an excellent shot. She didn't shoot the intruder as I told her to never shoot anyone unless they were in the house. He was halfway in.

My mother was also a good shot and loved shooting her dad's Colt .45 auto as a child. I took her to the Tampa Police Range one time wen she was in her 80's. She could still handle a .45 auto.

Note: When a young child, I found where my mom's Ladysmith revolver was hidden and used to load and play with it. When I was older I told my mother of my activities. She laughed and said that my father had anticipated that this would happen and had removed the firing pin making the revolver inoperative.

[polmaven]

56. No...

That's my point.

[Control-Z]

31. I'm not offering an opinion

on this thread, at this point. I just wanted to know what purpose guns have other than killing? Or did I misunderstand your meaning?

[polmaven]

55. My meaning was trying to point out the ridiculousness

of the post equating bathtubs with guns...of course guns have no other purpose other than killing.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. What a stupid response

[Beaverhausen]

27. bad comparison. Kids are in bathtubs every day

percentagewise, this does not compare. But keep trying.

[Lorien]

36. Ah, another specious argument in defense of yet another gun death

Should I reply with "well if only that little girl had had her own tank or nuke..." :eyes:

[Pavulon]

37. Or a parent who gave a shit..

mommy or daddy might as well have pulled the trigger. Normal people do not leave unsecured weapons around kids.

[Raskolnik]

21. That's a bad idea.

Why would anyone think that?

[slackmaster]

Why do you people exploit every tragedy with a bloody shirt-waving straw man?

It's getting pretty old.

[elleng]

42. "YOU PEOPLE?"

What straw man would that be?

[slackmaster]

46. The idea that anyone, including the staunchest pro-choice people on guns,

Would advocate arming everyone. And by "you people" I mean people who make such ridiculous statements whenever there is a tragic shooting incident. You show up and vomit in every thread about that kind of event, without fail.

[elleng]

48. This is the first time I have said anything about guns here,

so I suggest you forget'you people,' and discuss the merits.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

49. So this "After all, GUNS don't kill, KIDS do." is discussing the merits? You are a joke.

[elleng]

50. Whatever your position, you lose;

calling names is NOT a winner.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

51. It would just be nice if people were honest.

[slackmaster]

53. You should drop your statements that could be misinterpreted as bigoted too

:hi:

[elleng]

57. Bigoted:

'utterly intolerant of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.'

[slackmaster]

60. I rest my case

:hi:

[elleng]

62. And you lose.

That's part of the problem here: Critics (of any one or thing) overstate their case/argument, thus making intelligent discussion impossible.

:hi:

[slackmaster]

63. My original statement stands unchallenged

Your reply was a straw man. A facile one that has been restated thousands of times, and bears no resemblence to an intellecutal comment.

[elleng]

65. Sorry I failed to add

:sarcasm:

I often assume too much of the reader.

Seems clear to me that in circumstances when loaded arms are available to children, something is very wrong.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5710925

[chrisa]

47. Because both pro-gunners and anti-gunners

Are devoid of common sense.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

32. Never miss an opportunity to turn someone's tragedy into your personal political soapbox.

[elleng]

41. I have no soapbox.

I won riflery awards when young.
I lived in DC 30+ years.
I read about OUR tragedies, and would hope social policy would help avoid them.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

43. What social policy would you like to see enacted?

[L0oniX]

45. YAwn ...typical anti gun nut response.

[uppityperson]

3. What a shame. eom

[TWiley]

4. But, the NRA says guns make the family safer?

How can that be?

[MercutioATC]

9. You don't put rat poison in a sippie cup....

...and you don't leave a gun where a child can get it.


This isn't a gun issue, it's a parental responsibility issue.

[TWiley]

12. guns = poison and both are either harmful or deadly.

buttt that is the NRA argument ... Guns make society and the family "polite" & "safer".

[MercutioATC]

13. There are dozens of things in your house that can be deadly if misused.

That doesn't mean that they don't serve a valid purpose.

You can't blame the insecticide, or the bleach, or the gun, if you leave it where unattended children have access to it.


That said, we have the Constitutional right to own firearms. We have the legal right to defend ourselves in our own homes. Whether or not gun ownership makes society "safer" or "more polite" (and I believe it does) is immaterial. It's one of our fundamental rights.

People who don't want to exercise that right are free not to, but they're NOT free to attempt to deprive others of that right.

[jsamuel]

25. I am not an anti-gun advocate, but your argument is nonsense.

"There are dozens of things in your house that can be deadly if misused."

Yes, that is true. But using a gun to shoot something is simply use, not misuse, as that is what it is for.

[MercutioATC]

34. The purpose of a home defense firearm is to shoot intruders.

THAT is "what it is for"...just as the purpose of rat poison is to kill rats.

Both exist for the purpose of killing something that needs to be killed.

Both can be misused and cause harm to unintended targets.


Whether it's a box of rat poison, a bottle of household cleaner, or a gun...one's family is in no danger if it is handled responsibly.

[jsamuel]

40. Ok, I'll give you rat poison.

But other chemicals like bleach and anti-freeze do not fit in there.

[MercutioATC]

44. The logic of your assertion is flawed, though.

Yes, the purpose of a gun it to shoot (and, possibly, kill) things.

...and the purpose of a sports car is to drive fast.

...and the purpose of a paintbrush is to paint things.

...and the purpose of a jackhammer is to break up concrete.


...but the fact that these things CAN be used (in violation of the law) to break the speed limit, or vandalize a school, or jackhammer up a public street doesn't mean that they're inherently "bad" or unsafe if used properly.

Your claim doesn't discriminate based on actual use...it makes a blanket statement about the possibility of harm if the item is used in violation of the law (and common sense).

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

33. Never miss an opportunity to turn someone's tragedy into your personal political soapbox.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. What a horrible tragedy

[My Good Babushka]

11. How awful!

My son will be old enough soon to visit friends and play at their houses, and this is one of my biggest fears. My neighbor is an older woman who professes to sleep with a loaded gun under her pillow, and sometimes she want to invite my children into her house for snacks. She also has grandchildren play at her house. Something bad is going to happen.

[anonymous171]

14. That's it, time to ban guns and children. nt

[Pavulon]

15. Illegal to store a weapon where a child can use it here..

I would assume that is the case in NV. There are simple ways to secure a firearm so that it can be accessed if needed by an adult, but not a child.

This shooting was probably preceded by a criminal act, leaving a weapon unsecured.

[slackmaster]

23. According to the Brady Campaign, Nevada has no "safe storage" law

http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/state/viewstate.php?st=nv#cap

State laws are one subject on which the Brady people are a good source of accurate information. (I often disagree with their opinions and analysis, but they do have their facts straight.)

[Pavulon]

26. That is a shame. Stupidity should not have to be regulated

but it would be appropriate to charge a person in this. It is just inexcusable to leave a firearm within easy access of children.

[aikoaiko]

52. I agree that safe storage is important part of gun responsibility -- thats a fancy handgun vault

mine is a simple amsec

What is the make and model of the one in your post?

[proteus_lives]

18. Of course people will blame guns!

I mean why would anyone blame the parent who didn't keep the weapon in a safe place?

or

The kid who pulled the trigger?

Why blame them? That's silly! :eyes:

[jehovas_waitress]

29. right you are

Prosecute the parents as hard as possible.

[varkam]

59. Probably because he's ten years old? Just guessin'.

:eyes:

[WorseBeforeBetter]

61. I blame all three.

That shouldn't be so phucking difficult to comprehend.

" :eyes: "

[cwydro]

20. In before this

gets sent to the Gungeon...

[Raskolnik]

22. Sounds terrible.

Hope she's ok.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

24. Sounds like

the parent(s) - gun owner(s) have no clue.

Responsible parents keep firearms in a safe place, locked.

Idiots leave a loaded handgun where it is easy to access.

I have guns and kids - never the 2 shall meet.... guns locked and kept in a safe. Period.

[BlooInBloo]

58. Clearly more guns is the rational solution.

[slackmaster]

64. Same straw man, different day

:eyes:

[BlooInBloo]

66. Same kids getting killed, different day...

While gun nuts roll their eyes.

[BlueJazz]

67. I'm anti-ownership of Guns for myself .....

...but I refuse to impose my feelings or desires on others.