Any given state can implement all of the gun control laws they want or feel are necessary, but accidents stemming from negligence with firearms will still occur — as was just tragically displayed in California.
A 2-year-old boy died in Fresno on Saturday after he sustained an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Fresno Police have obtained a search warrant to process the home where a toddler fatally shot himself. They say the parent was not home at the time of the shooting, but two family friends were. @ABC30 pic.twitter.com/X8vIWUuO0j
— Vanessa Vasconcelos (@VanessaABC30) July 8, 2018
A tragic accident
The Fresno Bee reported that neither of the child’s parents were at the Fresno home at the time of the accidental shooting. Police noted that the boy’s father’s fiancée and a friend were the only adults in the home at the time of the accident.
The incident occurred shortly after noon, and though the boy was rushed to the Valley Children’s Hospital and doctors worked valiantly to save him, he was ultimately pronounced dead around 6 p.m.
Police stated that the incident “appears to be a tragic accident” upon initial inspection, but “a lengthy and thorough investigation” would be conducted to determine how this tragedy occurred.
The shooting took place in a bedroom of the Fresno home, but police have yet to determine how the toddler got his hands on the pistol or who the handgun belonged to.
A lesson learned
Nevertheless, the incident was seized by police as an example of why it is so important that firearms be stored safely in a home where there are young children who could gain access to the dangerous weapons.
In fact, safely storing firearms away from the grabby hands of little kids is the law in California — a law it would appear this household may not have always observed.
“You’re required to, if you have firearms in the home, they need to be locked and out of reach of children,” reminded Rob Beck of the Fresno Police Department, according to KFSN.
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This was a heartbreaking tragedy that never should have occurred, and our thoughts and prayers are with the parents of the toddler who was left unsupervised long enough to locate an unsecured handgun and accidentally use it against himself.
While few of us are fans of the mandatory safe storage laws in some states like California, we do recognize that safe storage of firearms — particularly in households with small children — is a very important practice that should continue to be encouraged to all gun owners.