Adults warned to keep guns secure

[Preacherman]

From the Detroit News (http://www.detnews.com/2003/metro/0304/22/c02-143740.htm):

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

Adults warned to keep guns secure

Two charged in incidents where child was killed, another lost her leg

By Norman Sinclair / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- In a continuing crackdown on gun violence that victimizes children, Wayne County Prosecutor Michael Duggan and Detroit police officials warned adults to keep weapons securely locked away or face serious criminal charges in cases of accidents that kill or injure youngsters.

On Monday, Duggan and Inspector Craig Schwartz, head of the Detroit Police Homicide Section, announced charges against two men whose weapons were used in separate incidents in which a 13-year-old boy was shot dead and a 13-year-old girl maimed. In each case the children found guns hidden in their homes when they were left without adult supervision.

Leroy Lavon Hardwick, 27, was charged with second-degree child abuse, being a felon in possession of a weapon and felony firearm in connection with the accidental shooting death of his nephew, Antoine Hardwick, Thursday afternoon.

Schwartz said the elder Hardwick left a loaded 9 millimeter handgun in his sister's west side home on Dwyer. Antoine Hardwick found the gun in the basement. The boy showed off the gun to a cousin, then placed the barrel in his mouth. The weapon fired, killing him.

Duggan said Hardwick stored the gun at the home because he was on probation on a drug charge. Conviction on the charge of felon in possession of a gun carries a five-year maximum prison term. The felony firearm charge carries a mandatory two-year sentence that is tacked on to any other sentence.

In the second incident on April 5, Marisa Gonzales was found on the kitchen floor by police who were called to her west side home on Cavalry shortly after midnight. The girl was suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. She was rushed to Children's Hospital, where her leg was amputated and she was treated for other severe internal injuries.

The shotgun that caused the damage was left by 19-year-old Ruben Alfredo Paula-Arroyo, who lives in an upstairs bedroom, officials said. Paula-Arroyo hid the weapon in a guitar case when he left the house for the evening, they said. A 12-year-old cousin of the victim got the gun and took it to the kitchen and accidentally fired it, striking Gonzales.

Paula-Arroyo faces charges of second-degree child abuse and possession of a short-barrel shotgun, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

"Hiding a gun in a guitar case is not securing that weapon," Duggan said.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

Interesting that the gun owners were felons who didn't have the legal right to own a firearm. I wonder if Anti's will take notice before comparing me, a law abiding citizen that owns firearms, with these low lifes.

 

[J Miller]

What is also interesting is that the children involved were 12 and 13 years old. What is wrong with this picture? Children this old not having any common sence? No, thats typical. But children this old should have been trained to stay away from others things, and out of others bedrooms. They should have also been trained about gun safety. For crying out loud when I was 13 I had never held anything more than a BB gun, but I knew better than to stick the thing in my mouth, or shoot someone with it.

Putting a gun in your mouth? This was not an accidental shooting, this was a suicide by stupidity. (Oh did you notice that the article stated: "then placed the barrel in his mouth. The weapon fired, killing him.") THE WEAPON FIRED, killing him?
He didn't pull the trigger? The gun fired itself? Right.

The problem I see here, is not that the guns were left where the kids COULD find them, it was that the kids actively looked for them. They knew they were there.
These kids obviously were never taught to stay out of other peoples things. They were never taught about the dangers of unsafe gun handling. They were like little animals running around unsupervised just looking for trouble.

The parents should be charged. Not for haveing
"unsecured" guns, but for raising idiots!!!! Improper child raising. Should be a felony. It would make a lot more sence than charging them for leaving a gun laying around.

Last rant for the day. Two is my limit. Gotta go change the oil on wifies truck.

 

[Shweboner]

The girl was suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. She was rushed to Children's Hospital, where her leg was amputated

How does a GSW to the abdomen lead to an amputation?

~Brian

 

[tommytrauma]

How does a GSW to the abdomen lead to an amputation?

~Brian

Damage to the decending aorta resulting in a lack of perfusion to the leg, maybe. Lots of possibilities.

 

[Wayne D]

Why didn't the newpaper headline read, "Felons warned to keep guns secure."?

I was hunting alone by the time I was 13. The rifle and ammo was kept in my room, under my control.

 

[Byron Quick]

For crying out loud when I was 13 I had never held anything more than a BB gun, but I knew better than to stick the thing in my mouth, or shoot someone with it.

At the age of 13, I had been the owner of a 12 gauge shotgun for 5 years...including daily access to the ammunition for that shotgun. For over a year, I had been trusted to hunt alone with that firearm after school, in season, while both of my parents were at work.

Not only that, but I had known...from the age of five...where the guns were, where the ammunition was, and the proper method of loading those firearms with the proper ammunition. I also knew the consequences of improper firearms handling and exactly how badly my butt would be tore up if I did so.

Shame these kids weren't taught basic consequences for their actions...like at the age of two.

 

[Byron Quick]

I used to take a former girlfriend's small children(at the time) shooting. They were not subjected to much discipline by her. Before I took them out to shoot the first time, she and her kids and I had a powwow. These were the ground rules: You don't have to listen to adults much...and when you don't-not much happens. Well, when we are out shooting all that changes. You listen...and you obey...exactly. If you have a firearm in your hands and you do not obey promptly...and exactly-I will do WHATEVER is necessary to ensure the safety of all involved. Do you understand, Mom? Do you understand, children? Yes, to both. The boys...10 and 8...and the girl...6...handled firearms exactly and safely by command...up to and including a select fire Uzi. When they fired the Uzi, I was kneeling beside them with my hands positioned to secure the weapon immediately if they lost control.

I wish I had a picture of Nicole's face after she emptied a magazine.

Simply another example of irresponsible adults raising irresponsible children. It's a shame.

 

[El Tejon]

What does he mean hiding a gun in a guitar case is not securing the weapon?!?! That's exactly what I did in Chicago. Nice and secure and no looks from the po-po.

 

[Kharn]

If a violin case can be used for a tommy gun, what goes in a guitar case? A cut-down BAR?

Kharn

 

[El Tejon]

Kharn, an AR and an 870. Don't forget to rubber band them together and use padding (bubble wrap) so they don't knock around.

 

[Byron Quick]

Buddy, you need to move on down to Texas. Indiana is warping you.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Too puny. Get a Barrett and a case from a bass fiddle.

Funny stuff in this case. Duggan has always been a pit-bull lap dog for the Ed McNamara political machine in Wayne county. He is anti-gun (except for cronies) but mostly just focused on political power for himself.

Duggan swore that all gun crime would be prosecuted fully. Sometime after that, a member of Detroit's city council was busted for pistol-whipping his wife and crashing her down the stairs. The councilman swore that the gun was kept in the car, so he had to go out of his way to get it and beat her with it. Duggan let it slide, after all they were both Democrats and good political allies.

As for the felon leaving his gun at his sister's house, he's setting her up for a gun charge. She cannot accept a handgun to hold, shoot, borrow, nothing. To accept it, the handgun would have to be transferred to her via a green "safety inspection permit" available at the police station. Then, signatures and an inspection would make the ownership transfer legal. Duggan could bust both of them for failing to do the transfer. But, he probably just wants to make speeches.

It is tragic about the kids. A little education and a little precaution could prevent this kind of misfortune.

Regards.

 

[El Tejon]

Bryon, that was Chicago. I'm already warped to begin with.

Besides Tejas has already had its belly full of smarty-pants Yankees.

 

[FPrice]

"In each case the children found guns hidden in their homes when they were left without adult supervision."

Stupid, felon adults leaving children unattended.

'Nuff said.

 

[45R]

Keeping guns secure is a law in CA.

Its also common sense. :banghead:

 

[Drjones]

How does a GSW to the abdomen lead to an amputation?

~Brian

And on today's news, a young girl who was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her stomach accidentally had her leg amputated.

The family is suing the manufacturer of the firearm, the manufacturer of the bullet, the ambulance company, the manufacturer of the ambulance, the hospital, the surgeon who amputated their daughter's leg, the surgeon's parents, as well as the manufacturers of each piece of medical equipment used to amputate their daughter's leg.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

The felon with the shotgun must have been thinking of "Azul" from the Mexican sleeper hit, "El Mariachi" -- the killer who hid all his guns in a guitar case. Remarkably stupid. What'd I'd like to know is why do law abiding gun owners get compared to garbage like this? My guns are empty, locked and secure -- and no kids allowed in my usually locked room. How stupid must they be and those anti that blame me for the actions of criminals...?

 

[Waitone]

I keep looking for the admonitions to keep 5 gallon buckets away from children. . . .you know, bucket locks. And where was the requirement to have a hard cover over a swimming pool? And how 'bout seatbelt locks. Gotta keep kiddie safe.

Idiots!

BTW.

The boy showed off the gun to a cousin, then placed the barrel in his mouth. The weapon fired, killing him.

Where did the kid learn that it was proper show-off behavior to insert the muzzle of a loaded gun into his mouth? Did he learn it from the parental units? Maybe he learned it from his favorite TV or movie or murder simulator. But no way can we hold the kids responsible for their own stupid, assinine, and incomprehensible behavior.

 

[keyhole]

Hmmmmm, am I bad? I had my first .22 rifle at 12, and have always had close possesion of guns since then. I started my kids out young, taking them to the range when they were around 5 or 6, and showed them what a gun would do. Taught them not to handle them unless I was around, and what to do if over at a friends house, and someone brought out a gun, and no parents were around. They're older now, college, and no problems.

 

[zahc]

"The shotgun that caused the damage..."

"The weapon fired, killing him."

When will it stop....ahhh my brain cells....




*looks over his shoulder to make sure the shotguns aren't breaking out of the safe and coming to get him*

 

[Standing Wolf]

Leroy Lavon Hardwick, 27, was charged with second-degree child abuse, being a felon in possession of a weapon and felony firearm in connection with the accidental shooting death of his nephew, Antoine Hardwick, Thursday afternoon.

Six or eight months in the county jail, a signature on a parole agreement, and he'll be back on the streets, back in the market for a replacement gun.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

It goes without saying they don't teach firearm safety in jail.