IMPD officials say a 3-year-old boy has died after he was shot in the head Saturday evening.
The boy was with his parents and 4-year-old sister when it happened.
Police say the shooting appears to have been accidental. Detectives believed the child pulled the gun off of the kitchen counter and shot himself, officials said.
"It's just heart-wrenching," Officer Chris Wilburn said. "You don't want to take that call. You don't want to respond to something like [that]... Decent people, you know, their hearts break, especially during this time of year."
No criminal charges were filed as of Sunday. Police say detectives were still investigating the case on Sunday evening. Once they finish their investigation, it will be forwarded to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office for review.
"Decent people" don't leave a gun on the kitchen table where a 3-year-old can get it. Only idiot gun owners do that.
"We don't say you've lost enough so you're absolved of criminal responsibility. The reality is the law doesn't exist as a deterrent to just the parents and is a punishment to a parent who might have engaged in behavior that was dangerous. It's also saying to the community there is some behavior that simply can't be tolerated," Deputy Prosecutor Kristine Korobov said.
ReplyDeleteA federal study of unintentional shootings found that eight percent of deaths by firearms resulted from shots fired by children under the age of six.
Guy Relford, attorney, author and National Rifle Association certified firearms instructor, said that parents who have firearms in the home need to lock away their weapons.
"I've got to believe the likelihood of an accidental injury is very high. And so when we say you have to balance security versus accessibility, security has to win," Relford said.
Relford said people who purchase firearms have a responsibility to lock them up.
The prosecutor’s office is not expected to make a charging decision in the case until after the victim’s funeral."
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/prosecutor-reviews-possible-charges-against-parents-of-toddler-fatally-shot
No charges yet doesn't mean they're off the hook.
Laws should exist for parents that leave a loaded weapon so accessible to a three year old. This is negligence and a child died be cause of it.
ReplyDeleteAnon, indiana does have a child access prevention law on the books.
Deletehttp://smartgunlaws.org/child-access-prevention-policy-summary/#footnote_18_5958
So why haven't these parents been charged?
DeleteThat is for the prosecuting attorney to decide. I doubt they believe the parents are going to run off or anything. They are making sure the evidence is in order before they charge.
DeleteThe should be arrested first, then the prosecutor can take his sweet time to make the case. When there's no doubt that they broke the law, there's no need for a lengthy investigation first. If you murder your wife the cops don't wait to put your ass in jail. Same thing here. When a kid is shot, they only need to determine who owned the gun and charge that person immediately.
DeleteAs long as Mikeb is suspicious, there's no need for an investigation.
DeleteThis is the problem with lax gun laws. People responsible for injury and death through negligent gun incidents, are being let off.
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