4 yr old boy shoots younger sibling over dispute Options

[emazing]

I think it's fair. What would the woman be doing with a gun in her purse, anyway?

[*StanleyThePanda*]

it's the mother's fault entirely. if you are going to have a gun in your home and have small children at the same time, you need to keep it in a safely guarded place where the children can't get it to it. come on, they're 4 and 2, if she just put it on a high shelf, they wouldn't be able to get to it. leaving it in your purse in a place where the kid can reach is just plain stupidity. if you're gonna be a parent, you have to take responsibility for your actions.

Yes, I totally agree
She should have guns in the house, where the kids can get to it...

[*xcaitlinx*]

"The mother told police that Saturday was the one day that she did not keep her gun secure."

That COMPLETELY changed my opinion on the situation. Out of all days, why would you leave the gun unsecure on a Saturday? What is her reasoning to that? To me, if she had any freakin common sense seh would've hid the gun in a vault or something of the sort....EVERYDAY. Not everyday except Saturday. (which is a complete bold faced lie in itself) The fact of the matter is --- if a toddler has the ability to access a gun (being that, of course, he is prolly only about 3 feet tall and still a baby)..then it's OBVIOUSLY the mother's fault. And since the child didn't even realize that he had done anything wrong, nor knew that he had actually killed his brother, it makes me sad to know that it couldve been prevented, and that the child didn't do it because he wanted his brother to die.

[heyyfrankie]

i don't think it is fair that the mom is being forced to serve time only because she didn't do anything but that is just how the law works. i blame the parents for what happened because they need to keep that kind of stuff, like guns and other weapons, out of reach from kids and keep an eye on their kids from time to time.

[XoJennaoX]

that is so sad. Mother's falt in more ways than one. I agree she was stupid to have it in his reach in the first place, actually to have it at all, for her reason (burglers), was pretty stupid.
But when i was that age my mom had me so paranoid..... i wouldn't even think of crossing the street by myself, drinking something that was underneath the cabinets, talking to a stranger, or especailly messing with a gun. What did this lady teach her son, if anything?

I always stress the fact we should not be allowed to have guns as citizens anyway, but at least it should have been locked up, the trigger should have been locked, and definitely not in her purse....was she thinking about using it "just in case?"

If she was that paranoid to have a gun in her purse, then she should been more paronoid to have a gun in her home with young children around. She claims she wanted it to protect her family? Well it doesn't seem to be working. She should go to jail and learn some common sense!

If you want to be safe from burglers.... get a damn alarm system!

[pandamonium]

wow . thats just sadd. i believe it was the moms fault. she should of done her job of being a good parent.

[Ballpointpencil]

"The mother told police that Saturday was the one day that she did not keep her gun secure."

That COMPLETELY changed my opinion on the situation. Out of all days, why would you leave the gun unsecure on a Saturday? What is her reasoning to that? To me, if she had any freakin common sense seh would've hid the gun in a vault or something of the sort....EVERYDAY. Not everyday except Saturday. (which is a complete bold faced lie in itself) The fact of the matter is --- if a toddler has the ability to access a gun (being that, of course, he is prolly only about 3 feet tall and still a baby)..then it's OBVIOUSLY the mother's fault. And since the child didn't even realize that he had done anything wrong, nor knew that he had actually killed his brother, it makes me sad to know that it couldve been prevented, and that the child didn't do it because he wanted his brother to die.

I think she meant that that particular Saturday was the one day she did not keep her gun secure. That is the only thing that makes sense. Murphy's Law would dictate that the one day she forgot to secure her gun would be the day her kid would get hold of it.

Really though, she should have kept it secure 24/7. My dad keeps his gun collection locked up in a combination lock safe, far from easy access. I feel sorry for the woman, I mean, it is her fault that her son was shot, but someone has to pay, and it will be her.

[Eryi]

The mother should be held responsible. The gun shouldn't be in the kids hand anyways.

[toodlepops.]

I say it's the mothers fault.

[jue]

im not really sure who is to be blamed for.
i think they all should get punished because they all have there wrongs in the situation.

the mom shouldnt have, have a gun anyways even if it was to protect the family. and the little 4 year old he should have been more careful; but then he is only four, he might have thought it was a play gun.

[*iNyCxShoRT*]

I blame the mother for not watching and caring for the children and leaving her purse there with a GUN in it.

[rOckThISshYt]

I do think it's fair that the child's mom serves time. I do believe that people make mistakes (meaning the mother) and didn't know that they had screwed up until after the incodent. Obviously she hadn't thought about the gun being in her purse. But she should have been smart and mature enough to know that kids can reach just about anything. She should have known to keep it safe in a hidden place without the gun loaded (preferably with a lock).

I don't think the boy should get in trouble because he had no clue what he was doing. He's four. Four year olds can't tell their ass from their own two feet, let alone a gun from anything else. I'm surprised he knew how to use it, though. But I don't think the blame should be on him at such a young age.

I do think the boy's father should keep custody and the mother should regain custody when she gets out. Especially because it was a loving family, I'm sure she would easily learn from this mistake and would always be more careful in the future. She didn't do this on purpose and a good mother would learn very fast.