Michigan started it, and Georgia is following suit now.
The Father of the Georgia shooter, just got charged with several charges. I was very happy when michigan went after the parent / gun owner. VERY glad to see another state following along. The added some unique charges, shall be intereresting to see how it plays out, but from what I have read Dad has some legal issues coming.
Police come talk to him and son about school threats, son denies them, a month later dad buys kid gun for his birthday (Illegal in Georgia,)
4 counts manslaughter, 2 counts 2nd deg murder, 8 counts child endangerment. (the 2nd deg murder is a unique and different law in Georgia, sorry don’t have link at the moment) but basically its if you do something endangering a child and child dies.
While I love the idea of charging those owners of guns that are clearly negligent in a situation like this, I don’t think it will have an impact.
Maybe its too much of a generalization but I think those that are fine with giving their kids ARs at 13 won’t care or know about the potential for negligence in a case like this. Hopefully I’m wrong.
I like this tactic also and I think it will, maybe, eventually, have an impact. I do wonder how the NRA and other gun rights people will react towards these cases.
Not necessarily. A parent could do everything right. Proper teaching. Proper training. Proper storage and security. Etc. and their child still gets access to the weapon without their knowledge.
Blanket rule that states a child shouldn’t have access to the weapon without presence of their parent/guardian might be the only way to go. Then there is still the chance that the child scours the house and finds the key. But that brings me to the point I have been saying for a long time. We need to have some standard for storage.
The goal isn’t perfection, which is unattainable. The goal is reduction.
There is evidence from the study of suicide that clearly shows that making access to guns more dificult lowers suicide rates. I don’t see why school shooters would be any different.
I completely agree. And I’m in complete favor of strict storage requirement making it much harder; not infallible.
I was commenting on the fact that a gun owner can do all the right things and practice safe and responsible ownership while still having things go awry. This was in response to a poster saying anyone opposed to the harsh punishments against parents is not a responsible owner. This is simply not true.
I think the only hope is for the Gen Z kids who grew up with active shooter drills and lock downs is to teach their children that all this gun shit has got to go. If the Gen Z’s can keep their opinions on guns like it is now and have all the old guys die off with time they may have a chance to change something in the US.
I will be long since dead but I am still an optomist for our kids.
Your blanket rule pretty much is the Georgia law from what I understand, and as a juror I would say if you protection scheme was beaten by a 14yr old, you better prove the kid had to go to extrodorinary measures, and a treasure hunt for a key, is not extraordinary measure, unless it was a multi week search and was more than opening a few drawers. Why is the key not on your person if your not home. Why leave the key in the house if the adults who are the ones who can use the gun are not in the house?
Responsible owner, secures the weapon such that it takes someone extraordinary effort to gain access to the gun. A jury can define that. If more and more of these cases end in guilty findings, I think you will see responsible gun owners make sure they have taken enough steps to secure the gun. So far in these cases they have taken zero efforts to secure the weapon.
SO yes it is that simple as that’s what makes them responsible owners.
If the kid gets the gun, the parent(s) get the slammer. It may not be entirely fair, but my thoughts and prayers go out to those unfortunate parents…