Dad accidently kills 11 year old daughter on hunting trip

[funksouljon]

Don't guns with hammers like that usually have a de-cocking mechanism too. So you don't have to dry fire it to de-cock it.

Im not a certified armorer (perhaps we get the girl from the Rust movie!) but yes, in my experience, all firearms that have a cocking mechanism have a decocking mechanism. All of mine do, but I am sure there are exceptions.

There are some I have seen where you pull the hammer back further, and then a trigger pull will allow you to lower the hammer all the way down and it is decocked at that point.

 

[funksouljon]

Typically you would hold the hammer with your thumb, pull the trigger to release and then slowly lower the hammer to a safe position,... I would never use dry firing as a way to confirm that a weapon is clear.

DAAA!! Ninjaed by the @Rifler !

 

[Scott559]

So sad, I could not begin to imagine having to live with that guilt.

 

[IACub]

Don't guns with hammers like that usually have a de-cocking mechanism too. So you don't have to dry fire it to de-cock it.

Some do, some don't. I have a Beretta that has a de-cocker, it essentially rotates out so the hammer can't engage the firing pin, then drops the hammer harmlessly. I also have a 1911 that has no de-cocker and a pretty strong hammer pull. The safest way to de-cock it is to eject the magazine and clear the chamber (usually several times), then double check the chamber, then use your thumb to drop the hammer.

In either case, even with the hammer down, even if you're certain there's not a bullet in the chamber, even if the gun isn't loaded, you never point a gun at a human that you don't intend to kill. Period.

 

[theiacowtipper]

Makes me sick to my stomach. Doubt I would be able to keep living...

One of my worst calls ever. A three year old child followed her father out of the house. They were getting ready to leave for a short trip. He got in the minivan as she followed around behind the car. He backed up and ran over her.

She was obviously DOA. The dad was on his knees at the back of the van, bashing his head into the asphalt as hard as he could. Blood streaming down his face. Saying just f*****g kill me now. I don’t have nightmares about many calls but that’s one.

 

[torbee]

Yeah, I get wanting to make it about guns gun owners and all, so have at it. I'm not a gun guy, I don't have much of a dog in that fight.

But the number one rule of backing up your car is to look behind you before you pull out, and the number one rule of putting you kid in the car is to remember to take them back out again. But it still happens. I'm not by any means trying to say it wasn't highly negligent, that's kind of the whole point. There's just no way back from that, no way to process it.

God bless all of you who have never had an inexplicably dumb moment. God bless me that none of mine ended in a freak tragedy.

I am a gun owner. I’m not anti-gun. I am anti-stupid.

 

[Nole Lou]

One of my worst calls ever. A three year old child followed her father out of the house. They were getting ready to leave for a short trip. He got in the minivan as she followed around behind the car. He backed up and ran over her.

She was obviously DOA. The dad was on his knees at the back of the van, bashing his head into the asphalt as hard as he could. Blood streaming down his face. Saying just f*****g kill me now. I don’t have nightmares about many calls but that’s one.

Well, he was certainly taught to look behind him before backing up on the first day of drivers ed, and to never drive the vehicle in the direction of another person, so hopefully you called him a dumbass.

 

[WhiteSoxClone]

I am a gun owner. I’m not anti-gun. I am anti-stupid.

These types of situations are exactly the type where experience is actually working against you. If you do something regularly, your brain can fail to recognize warning signs or indicators of danger, and can make choices that in retrospect are very poor. There is science behind all of this, and dismissing it as a result of stupidity ignores the science and also prevents us from using it as a reminder and teachable moment to ourselves. Of course, this is just, like, my opinion, man - but when I read these articles, I try to remind myself, as a person who has a tendency to easily drift into auto mode and out of conscious behavior mode, that I need to try to be ever vigilant about this sort of stuff.

 

[IACub]

These types of situations are exactly the type where experience is actually working against you. If you do something regularly, your brain can fail to recognize warning signs or indicators of danger, and can make choices that in retrospect are very poor. There is science behind all of this, and dismissing it as a result of stupidity ignores the science and also prevents us from using it as a reminder and teachable moment to ourselves. Of course, this is just, like, my opinion, man - but when I read these articles, I try to remind myself, as a person who has a tendency to easily drift into auto mode and out of conscious behavior mode, that I need to try to be ever vigilant about this sort of stuff.

Which is why routine is so important the more dangerous a regular activity. The more someone handles a firearm the more it should become routine to clear the chamber every. single. time. You don't leave it up to chance, ever. It should be almost muscle memory and it should start from the first time you shoot a gun.

 

[Nole Lou]

These types of situations are exactly the type where experience is actually working against you. If you do something regularly, your brain can fail to recognize warning signs or indicators of danger, and can make choices that in retrospect are very poor. There is science behind all of this, and dismissing it as a result of stupidity ignores the science and also prevents us from using it as a reminder and teachable moment to ourselves. Of course, this is just, like, my opinion, man - but when I read these articles, I try to remind myself, as a person who has a tendency to easily drift into auto mode and out of conscious behavior mode, that I need to try to be ever vigilant about this sort of stuff.

Already tried man, no takers here.

 

[WhiteSoxClone]

Which is why routine is so important the more dangerous a regular activity. The more someone handles a firearm the more it should become routine to clear the chamber every. single. time. You don't leave it up to chance, ever. It should be almost muscle memory and it should start from the first time you shoot a gun.

I'm not arguing with that. I'm simply trying to point out that the people on here showing no empathy to this father and acting as if he deserves the pain and agony he is enduring are, in my opinion, being hard hearted (to say the least). And its some of the posters that I typically most respect as thoughtful and emphathetic.

And just to put a fine point on it, routine can actually be very dangerous also. That is because if you change even one small fact, then the routine can work completely against you. This is how the majority of hot car deaths happen. The parent that always takes their kid to daycare and then goes to work, instead swung by the dry cleaners on the way to daycare, then goes to work instead of dropping off the kid. The routine actually worked against him there.

 

[mnole03]

So sad, I could not begin to imagine having to live with that guilt.

That was my thought. I don’t know that I could handle that.

 

[mjtommy]

I'm not arguing with that. I'm simply trying to point out that the people on here showing no empathy to this father and acting as if he deserves the pain and agony he is enduring are, in my opinion, being hard hearted (to say the least). And its some of the posters that I typically most respect as thoughtful and emphathetic.

And just to put a fine point on it, routine can actually be very dangerous also. That is because if you change even one small fact, then the routine can work completely against you. This is how the majority of hot car deaths happen. The parent that always takes their kid to daycare and then goes to work, instead swung by the dry cleaners on the way to daycare, then goes to work instead of dropping off the kid. The routine actually worked against him there.

What you described in your second paragraph is a break in a routine. If you change even one small fact it is no longer a routine.

 

[WhiteSoxClone]

What you described in your second paragraph is a break in a routine. If you change even one small fact it is no longer a routine.

Exactly. But the brain still thinks it’s engaged in the routine. The brain doesn’t always recognize the break. That’s why routines are dangerous.

 

[NoleATL]

That guy better be sleeping with one eye open for awhile. Wifey might be cleaning her knives at bedtime.

He needs to be arrested for negligent homicide. Edit to add: I feel HORRIBLE for this father and family. i can't imagine living after I did such a thing.

 

[ghost80]

Typically you would hold the hammer with your thumb, pull the trigger to release and then slowly lower the hammer to a safe position,... I would never use dry firing as a way to confirm that a weapon is clear.

Correct. Rifle involved so more than likely no decocker.

Fortunately noone was hurt in this one but the dumbest incident I personally know was a woman who had a cheap .25 auto and decided to see if the safety was on by pulling the trigger. Bullet lodged in the firewall of her apartment.

It was called in and she was charged with discharging within city limits.

 

[jasonrann]

He needs to be arrested for negligent homicide. Edit to add: I feel HORRIBLE for this father and family. i can't imagine living after I did such a thing.

I would be done. Reminds me of a story a few years ago. Former nfl player backed over his 3-year old. I would be done-zo.

 

[theiacowtipper]

Well, he was certainly taught to look behind him before backing up on the first day of drivers ed, and to never drive the vehicle in the direction of another person, so hopefully you called him a dumbass.

Well I didn’t. I’m not an asshole though. I’m sure some people would have.

 

[kcnole63]

One of my worst calls ever. A three year old child followed her father out of the house. They were getting ready to leave for a short trip. He got in the minivan as she followed around behind the car. He backed up and ran over her.

She was obviously DOA. The dad was on his knees at the back of the van, bashing his head into the asphalt as hard as he could. Blood streaming down his face. Saying just f*****g kill me now. I don’t have nightmares about many calls but that’s one.

How awful. This is a situation that you can do everything right (look in rear view mirrors, back slowly) and still result in tragedy. Thankfully, with many vehicles now having backup cameras and collision warning systems, this is less likely to happen.

 

[Dr. Spaceman]

Yeah, I get wanting to make it about guns gun owners and all, so have at it. I'm not a gun guy, I don't have much of a dog in that fight.

But the number one rule of backing up your car is to look behind you before you pull out, and the number one rule of putting you kid in the car is to remember to take them back out again. But it still happens. I'm not by any means trying to say it wasn't highly negligent, that's kind of the whole point. There's just no way back from that, no way to process it.

God bless all of you who have never had an inexplicably dumb moment. God bless me that none of mine ended in a freak tragedy.

Man shoots daughter with gun but it's not about guns or the actions of the gun owner.

 

[ping72]

This is the most I have seen the word cock in a thread since the way to soon passing of @naturalmwa . RIP.

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

Man shoots daughter with gun but it's not about guns or the actions of the gun owner.

I think nearly everyone has pointed out that the gun owner was extremely negligent. So it is most certainly about his actions.

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

He needs to be arrested for negligent homicide. Edit to add: I feel HORRIBLE for this father and family. i can't imagine living after I did such a thing.

I sort of agree on this. At some level negligence with guns needs to be criminally punished.

And honestly anyone being even mildly injured by an accidental discharge of a gun in your possession should probably end your right to own a gun.

Dick Cheney in my view should not be allowed to own a firearm.

 

[Finance85]

A lot of people will say it's an accident. I think it's more like negligence.

 

[theiacowtipper]

A lot of people will say it's an accident. I think it's more like negligence.

There’s been a similar discussion on these boards about the punishment for parents who accidentally leave there kids in a hot car and they die. I’ve had one of those and she wasn’t prosecuted.

 

[Finance85]

Which is why routine is so important the more dangerous a regular activity. The more someone handles a firearm the more it should become routine to clear the chamber every. single. time. You don't leave it up to chance, ever. It should be almost muscle memory and it should start from the first time you shoot a gun.

This ^

And never point a firearm at another person you don't intend to shoot. Not ever.

 

[binsfeldcyhawk2]

But the #1 rule in firearm handling is to treat every single gun as if it were loaded no matter how sure you are it isn’t. This is a lot more negligent than an unattended pot of boiling water, IMO. And easily preventable with the most basic safety precautions.

Absolutely true…but people F up.

 

[DooBii]

One time when my son was a baby I went to the store. I got all the way to the front door of the store before I remembered my son. It never happened again, but I understand how it happens. Horrible situation for all involved.

 

[funksouljon]

This is the most I have seen the word cock in a thread since the way to soon passing of @naturalmwa . RIP.

We should have a spatchcock thread then. I was very happy with my turkey this year. Tried something new.