The Student Room Group

American man accidentally shoots, kills his son then says "Guns don't kill people"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3674624/The-gun-didn-t-kill-son-did-Florida-Father-blames-operating-error-not-firearm-accidental-death-son-14-says-freak-accidents-happen-sometimes.html

I grew up with guns, I'm from a partly rural family and we would go hunting, shoot vermin and pests, and the like. So I'm not mindlessly opposed to all gun ownership, nor do I think guns should be fetishised either positively or negatively (i.e. that they are magical objects to be inherently feared and disgusted, nor worshipped as a focus of your life).

But this story just hits every button in terms of the madness of America's gun culture. This man took his 14 year old soon to the shooting range, and he (the father) was firing a handgun. A shell casing spat out of the gun and landed in his (the father's) shirt on his left shoulder. He used his gun hand, with the handgun still in it, to try to flick the shell casing out. The gun went off and shot his 14 year old boy, who died.

The father has held a press conference and said "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" and labelled his act an "operator error". He then said his family is getting through the tragedy with their faith in Jeebus and prayer. The father then set up a GoFundMe page asking for money, and $30,000 has poured in.

For ****s sake. The father should face charges for involuntary manslaughter. And check out this quote from their gfm page

'The families’ only comfort is knowing that He is communing with the heroes of his faith and rejoicing in paradise.

'Your generous gifts and donations will help with the expenses the family is now faced with.'


****ing delusional, greedy theist idiots
(edited 7 years ago)
I'd agree with guns don't kill people, people kill other people.
He's right. But people don't kill people. Rappers do. Sorry but I had to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICG0MuzEYzw
Original post by physicsphysics91
I'd agree with guns don't kill people, people kill other people.


There's no question the father is responsible for his son being dead, but the gun killed the son.

Let's look at it logically. But for the father's use of the gun, would the son have died? No. If the father had been carrying a banana, or a tennis racquet, or a mobile phone, the son wouldn't have died.

The fact is, with guns the threshold for making a mistake is low and the consequences of making a mistake are extremely high. If this man didn't have easy access to guns the son wouldn't be dead.
Wappaz Doo!
Original post by Thutmose-III
There's no question the father is responsible for his son being dead, but the gun killed the son.

Let's look at it logically. But for the father's use of the gun, would the son have died? No. If the father had been carrying a banana, or a tennis racquet, or a mobile phone, the son wouldn't have died.

The fact is, with guns the threshold for making a mistake is low and the consequences of making a mistake are extremely high. If this man didn't have easy access to guns the son wouldn't be dead.


When using firearms and/or being at a firing range you must be extra cautious. It is nothing more than an accident with lethal consequences.
Reply 6
Original post by physicsphysics91
I'd agree with guns don't kill people, people kill other people.


you fool guns do kill people

the don't themselves of their own will kill people but the bullet which is shot through them kills

so the person using the gun killed his son,

what's more worrying here however is the lack of ****ing common sense, and retardedness flying through this idiots mind.
Original post by physicsphysics91
When using firearms and/or being at a firing range you must be extra cautious. It is nothing more than an accident with lethal consequences.


It's an accident that wouldn't occur with a person who was well-experienced with firearms and temperamentally suited to use them.

You can't give a Downs Syndrome person a drivers licence than call it a pure accident when they run someone down. Equally, you can't allow every man and his dog to have guns and then act surprised when innocent people die.

There are many things that could have been done to prevent this boy from having his life cruelly taken away. Unfortunately gun nuts oppose all of them, including even measures to ban known terrorists from possessing firearms.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Thutmose-III
There's no question the father is responsible for his son being dead, but the gun killed the son.

Let's look at it logically. But for the father's use of the gun, would the son have died? No. If the father had been carrying a banana, or a tennis racquet, or a mobile phone, the son wouldn't have died.

The fact is, with guns the threshold for making a mistake is low and the consequences of making a mistake are extremely high. If this man didn't have easy access to guns the son wouldn't be dead.


Totally agree, could not have been said better.
On a side note I am finally getting my firearms license so woo for me
Original post by AperfectBalance
Totally agree, could not have been said better.
On a side note I am finally getting my firearms license so woo for me


I just decided to start the process. I'm not after anything crazy, just a cute little bolt action 22lr for target shooting and varminting. Not a big shotgun man myself.

When I was young my grandfather would make us walk around with the bolt open (this was with a triple-2) and when we had a target, he would hand us a single round to slide into the breech (like an old-fashioned single shot rifle). We had all the usual gun safety rules drummed into us but went further than that. I was even banned for three months from shooting by him once when I pointed the muzzle in the air rather than at the ground. Good times. When we got older we were allowed more freedom with them, but it was still pretty strict and all the lessons imprinted on me like Pavlov's dog

Anyway, I am all in favour of responsible gun ownership. But it should require mandated safety training, a doctor's certificate, agreement from your constabulary and regular requirement to renew it. In that sense the British system is mostly a good one.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Thutmose-III
I just decided to start the process. I'm not after anything crazy, just a cute little bolt action 22lr for target shooting and varminting. Not a big shotgun man myself.

When I was young my grandfather would make us walk around with the bolt open (this was with a triple-2) and when we had a target, he would hand us a single round to slide into the breech (like an old-fashioned single shot rifle). We had all the usual gun safety rules drummed into us but went further than that. I was even banned for three months from shooting by him once when I pointed the muzzle in the air rather than at the ground. Good times. When we got older we were allowed more freedom with them, but it was still pretty strict and all the lessons imprinted on me like Pavlov's dog

Anyway, I am all in favour of responsible gun ownership. But it should require mandated safety training, a doctor's certificate, agreement from your constabulary and regular requirement to renew it. In that sense the British system is mostly a good one.


Yeah I am getting a 22 or a 308 If the one I was looking at is still on offer. But getting a license is hard as it should be.
Original post by AperfectBalance
Yeah I am getting a 22 or a 308 If the one I was looking at is still on offer. But getting a license is hard as it should be.


I'd love to get a .303 Jungle Carbine (I shot the no.3 SMLE quite a bit when I was in the army cadets) but in reality all I really need is a 22lr and I think I don't want the hassle and expense of centrefire rifles.

Completely agree about licensing.
Original post by Thutmose-III
I'd love to get a .303 Jungle Carbine (I shot the no.3 SMLE quite a bit when I was in the army cadets) but in reality all I really need is a 22lr and I think I don't want the hassle and expense of centrefire rifles.

Completely agree about licensing.


Yeah, there is a 308 in decent condition going for sub £100 so I might get both, But the ammo will be a slight pain. and hunting with a 308 is not really ideal.
Reply 13
Y'all are wrong
Everything kills people.
From people to guns to idiotic snakes :mad2: ... your chicken :chicken:.. the cancer
Pretty much anything :afraid:
Earth is a death trap everyone... Tell your mates :listen:

Yes guns are the culprit in this equation.. but both the gun and the person holding the gun are the killers #truefact
And I dunno how manslaughter works... but doubt that's manslaughter :wink:
Original post by dskinner
you fool guns do kill people

the don't themselves of their own will kill people but the bullet which is shot through them kills

so the person using the gun killed his son,

what's more worrying here however is the lack of ****ing common sense, and retardedness flying through this idiots mind.


Before you reply to a comment, maybe you should calm down because the implications of your outrage is showing with your bad grammar and fowl language.

As much as we can debate a skewed philosophic narrative about whether it's guns or people that inflict harm, the reality is that gun accessibility and gun-culture in the United States in part of their history. and to use this freak accident as a precedent to limit an Americans' constitutional rights goes against the pillars of American culture. If we're concerned about a young lad getting shot at a shooting range, then perhaps we can have a rational conversation regarding age restrictions and safety with the industry itself, but there's really nothing more to this story than to condole with the family.
Original post by jake4198
Before you reply to a comment, maybe you should calm down because the implications of your outrage is showing with your bad grammar and fowl language.

As much as we can debate a skewed philosophic narrative about whether it's guns or people that inflict harm, the reality is that gun accessibility and gun-culture in the United States in part of their history. and to use this freak accident as a precedent to limit an Americans' constitutional rights goes against the pillars of American culture. If we're concerned about a young lad getting shot at a shooting range, then perhaps we can have a rational conversation regarding age restrictions and safety with the industry itself, but there's really nothing more to this story than to condole with the family.

I wholly agree, what the fun did i type lol.

Well tbh let more people die, that's fine with me, more people dead the better,
Too bad he couldn't have shot himself so he wasn't such a danger to others

The first thing you are taught when you get your license is that you NEVER POINT YOUR GUN near ANYONE. Loaded or unloaded, safety or no safety. Your finger should not even be near the trigger and the gun should not be loaded unless you are ready to fire.

Guns are not toys, but like cars or chainsaws some idiot like this will manage to harm others and even his own family due to idiocy. He should face prison time
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Thutmose-III
You can't give a Downs Syndrome person a drivers licence than call it a pure accident when they run someone down. Equally, you can't allow every man and his dog to have guns and then act surprised when innocent people die. *.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12785366

very offensive. *
Guns don't kill people, bullets do.
People kill people. Guns kills people. Very ambiguous. Both correct.

I'm in the air cadets we fire semi automatic rifles (L98A2 - basically an L85A2 which has had it's select fire taken off) using 5.56mm NATO rounds and do so very often. This happens all over the country regularly. 0 fatalities in all the three services: air cadets army cadets and sea cadets (plus the combined cadet force but no one likes them).

So there is obviously an issue with Americans and the 'protocols' they implement for safety on ranges.
(edited 7 years ago)

Quick Reply

Latest