Another day, another child dead due to an unsecured weapon. A 9-month-old boy lost his life after his 5-year-old brother shot him in his crib with an unsecured .22 caliber magnum revolver in his grandfather’s house.
The incident happened on Monday in Nodaway County, Missouri. Four children were staying at their grandfather’s house with their mother when the shooting occurred.
The 5-year-old found the gun on a built-in headboard in the master bedroom, picked it up and it discharged, hitting the infant in the head. The mother, Alexis Widerholt, was in the kitchen when she heard a gunshot.
She apparently ran into the living room and found three of her children, one of them was playing with a paintball gun. She then went into the master bedroom and found the infant with a wound.
She called 911 just before 9 a.m. and asked for an ambulance for her child who she thought had been hit by a paintball. When police arrived they discovered it was an actual gunshot wound; the baby was airlifted to a hospital but subsequently pronounced dead.
Sheriff Darren White said police found multiple unsecured weapons in the home. He said that the town, Elmo, is very rural and guns are common but most people practice gun safety.
“We are big supporters of firearms around here,” White said. “We live in a rural area. We have a lot of people who own weapons. They hunt. They shoot. Most people are very safe with them, and this is one of those cases where everything went together in the wrong way.” [Source]
Unfortunately that was not the case here and now a child is dead because of it.
It’s very sad that this mother lost her child and I’m sure she’s in an imaginable amount of pain. As a mother, I feel sorry for her, however she isn’t blameless.
Remember when she heard the gunshot she ran into the living room and found another one of her kids playing with a paintball gun. Her children are 5, 3, 2, and 9 months. This means that a toddler was playing with a paintball gun while the 5-year-old was playing with a revolver.
In what world is that okay?
This is is a perfect example of idiotic, irresponsible ammosexuals letting their love of guns create an unsafe living environment for kids.
Sure the guns belonged to the grandfather but the mother obviously knew they were in the home.
I come from a family of gun lovers. When my child visits my parents, their gun is locked in a safe. It’s a really simple safety measure and guess what? My son has never shot himself or anyone else.
There is absolutely no excuse for these things to happen. This wasn’t an accidental shooting, it was neglect.
Featured image via Facebook
Good thing they had that gun in their home to protect the family.
Parents with children AND guns in the same home are practicing child abusers.
molesting ,rapping, hitting , neglect and malnutrition are abuse… Not teaching the kids about guns along with and/or having any weapon within kids reach is irresponsible parenting, which should be a crime!!!!
Lea, I think when a kid dies due to that irresponsible parenting, that could legitimately be considered abuse.
I don’t think that having a weapon in one’s home, with children present automatically is abuse.
Being stupid enough not to have weapons locked or safely put away< that I agree should be a crime.
I have had guns in my home …. locked away and my kids were taught about them. I did not comment on having one, just the part about
not be a responsible parent. If guns/knives/power-tools are in your home, please teach your kids what they are for and the dangers of each.
Amen.
Who the hell hunts with a handgun?
If only the infant had had a gun. He could’ve defended himself from the bad guy with a gun.
I have absolutely no sympathy for the parents and grandparents of these children. All of my sympathy goes to the children themselves. They had no choice over the family they had the misfortune to be born into.
And the parents aren’t in jail and the surviving sibling in foster care? WTF!
Ok so the country goes up in arms about Ebola in America which resulted in zero deaths of Americans. Yet every time I turn around another person dies from an accidental gun shot at the hands of a child. This is the epidemic. Stupidity cannot be cured but it can be regulated.
I feel sorry for the five year old. His parents and grandparents failed to protect him from the consequences of an available loaded weapon. He’s going to have to live with this action for the rest of his life. That’s more than a five year old should have to live with.
Malignant neglect, all the way around.
Bet no charges are filed against anyone in this “tragic accident.”
Why do they need a handgun in the home is this very rural (most likely low crime) area? Oh to protect themselves from their gun owning neighbors???
NOT MUCH VALUE ON THIS SITE WHEN IT COMES TO BABIES……OH, UNLESS IT INVOLVES A HANDGUN!!!! MY MISTAKE!
“The 5-year-old found the gun on a built-in headboard in the master bedroom, picked it up and it discharged, hitting the infant in the head. ”
Have they arrested the gun?
She should go to jail and her children to Child Protective Services. What a c__t…