4-Year-Old Shoots Sister, Boy; Older Sibling Tries to Protect Them

Associated Press ^ | Sep 28, 2003 | Sarah Brumfield

[Pharmboy]

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) - A 4-year-old boy found a loaded gun in his family's house and fired it through the front door, killing his 5-year-old sister and seriously wounding another boy, authorities said. An older sister had seen the child pick up the semi-automatic handgun in the house Saturday night and had rushed the other children outside to try to protect them, but the bullet went through the door, hitting them, said Prince George's County police spokeswoman Cpl. Diane Richardson.

The two wounded children stumbled across the street and collapsed in a neighbor's driveway, she said. Kimberly Brice was pronounced dead after arrival at a hospital.

The bullet had hit the boy, age 7, in the back and then hit Kimberly, Richardson said. The injured boy was expected to survive, she said. Police believe he is other children's half-brother.

"It's a terrible situation that probably could have been avoided," Richardson said. "It's quite obvious the gun was not secured."

She said the 4-year-old cannot be held criminally responsible, but the parents or other adults connected to the house could potentially face charges of leaving the young children unattended or leaving the gun where the children could get to it.

"We're still trying to determine where the parents were" during the shooting, Richardson said. The older sister who was with the children was 10 years old.

The mother of the three siblings went to one of the hospitals after the shooting, Richardson said. A man lives in the house as well, she said, but it wasn't clear Sunday what his relationship to the woman or the children is.

[Pharmboy]

Another reminder to SECURE THOSE FIREARMS (esp. when young 'uns are around).

[Born Conservative]

There are a lot of details left out. Were the parents home at all? What kind of family was it? Was it a drug house? Inquiring minds want to know...

[Batrachian]

Strange how a child can pick up a gun and the first thing that occurs to him is to point it at someone else and pull the trigger.

Where could such a behaviour have been learned?

[Tijeras_Slim]

There's another thread about this, but your's has more info. I've pinged them to this.

[Pharmboy]

The parents were not home at the time.

[Cicero]

Sounds like a live-in boyfriend of some sort. It's much too little information to speculate on, but maybe he's a drug dealer? Most gun-owners don't leave loaded pistols lying around the front hall.

[Pharmboy]

Interesting...I searched several different ways (by post time) and found nothing. This is a later dispatch; thanks, though.

[I still care]

First thought in my mind- the daughter sees him pick up the gun, and immediately runs the kids outside. They are shot THROUGH a door.
That 4 year old was gunning for the other kids somehow, although I can't think he realized the results of his actions. Maybe it was a kids fight.

[CIBvet]

Come now Comrade, where are your sensitivities ???

Articles like these must be sanitized w/ Political Correctness to protect the public from being judgemental upon poor, stupid Black, Green, Brown or White people who leave loaded handguns laying around on the coffee table, in a house full of children growing up on 21st Century TV and Movies.

[marktwain]

More detail is welcome. It does not generally happen that a young child finds a gun, points it at someone, and pulls the trigger. These instances are so rare as to fall into the class of flukes.

More young children die from drowning in 5 gallon buckets than die from accidental gun shots, and cases where young children shoot other children, such as this, are extremely rare.

Also, consider the case in northern California, where the guns were locked up, as required by State law, and the older daughter, though trained, could not access them to defend against a home invader who murdered her siblings with a pitchfork.

Before we go into "There Ought to be a Law" mode, remember the "Life = Risk".

[steplock]

Reason for lack of detail?

ASSOCIATED PRESS

[GovernmentShrinker]

I thought that was a little odd too. You'd think the 10 year old would have thought it easier to tackle the 4 year old and get the gun away from him, than to get the 5 and 7 year olds and herself all out of the house. But I don't want to second guess this young lady, who was put in a position she should never have had to cope with. I'm sure she did the best thing she could figure out to do in the few seconds she had, but you do have to wonder if she didn't know some alarming things about that 4 year old boy's disposition.

[Pharmboy]

Wouldn't the reporter (by this time) know whether or not the gun was registered in MD?

[spodefly]

If a 4 year old, a 5 year old, a 7 year old, and a 10 year old are left in a house alone with a loaded (and obviously chambered) gun, then the parents are irresponsible and idiotic.

They are the ones responsible for the child's death ... not the 4 year old, not the firearm.

[Bob]

...alone with a loaded (and obviously chambered)(as well as obviously easily accessible) gun,...

[blau993]

Maryland doesn't have gun registration -- just the usual background checks when you buy.

Prince Georges County is adjacent to DC. It is a majority black county with a high crime rate, though parts of it are very suburban and quite nice.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

Yep, the gun had to be loaded, chambered and easily accessible to the 4-year-old.

[wku man]

It doesn't matter. The CommieLib media are using this and recent school shootings to fan the flames of gun control mania in advance of next year's AWB extension vote. Reporting of shooting events will continue to be distorted, and will likely get worse in order to cloud the issue and get the chickens**t Pubbies to cower.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Joe Hadenuf]

Also, consider the case in northern California, where the guns were locked up, as required by State law

Could you give me a link or source to that law. I'd like to review it. Thanks...