Police: 4-year-old girl accidentally killed by sibling Parental FAILURE!] (AZ)

[Janq]

As reported via NBC12news:

Police: 4-year-old girl accidentally killed by sibling

by Nathan Gonzalez - Oct. 24, 2010 12:01 PM
The Arizona Republic

A 4-year-old girl fatally wounded Saturday near Wickenburg was accidentally shot by her 8-year-old sister, authorities said.

The 8-year-old was target-shooting with a .22-caliber rifle and her parents in the open desert between Wickenburg and Morristown, said Jeff Sprong, a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

"There were two families in that area doing some target-shooting practice," Sprong said. "The 8-year-old was practicing on a .22-caliber firearm. While she was shooting, the 4-year-old darted out in front of her."

The 8-year-old pulled the trigger and shot her sister in the head. The girl, whose name has yet to be released, was airlifted to St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, where she was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m.

"I can't imagine what the family is going through," Sprong said. "Right now we are investigating this as an accidental shooting."...

The full story can be found at; http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news...ident1025.html

I'm too busy with a work project right now to take time away to post what I've got in my mind.

So I'll just say this:
As an acting RSO it is your job to monitor BOTH the shooter AND the shooters ENVIRONMENT within a 360 degree view, not just at their target!!!

These childrens parents plural, and any other adults on-site with them, let both kids as victims down.

- Janq

NRA certified Range Safety Officer
IDPA certified Safety Officer
Smith & Wesson Co. certified Range Safety Officer

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ctsketch]

Another tragedy that could have been avoided

[jumpwing]

Epic failure. RIP, young lady.

[BigStick]

Wow, now the older sister will have to live with that her whole life. Sounds like the parents needed to set up some more strict "range rules" or shooting area, not to mention, holding onto the unpredictable child while allowing the shooting of firearms.

[MSteve]

I have a four year old. Like most of them, he does not have the impulse control to be out on a range yet. I wouldn't take him out to one unless there was a gated area between him and the firing line.
Like it's already been said, the parents failed both of these children. It's the job of the parent (read: RSO) to think of these things.

[Guantes]

Control of youngsters in the area of active firearms must be positive. If that is not possible with verbal commands, then it must be physical such as containment or a leash.

[bigmacque]

Four year olds don't belong in an area where people are shooting.

[pinklady]

Who takes a four year old shooting and lets them run loose. This could have been prevented.

[tkruf]

I hope this 8 year old doesn't grow up hating firearms and become an anti now because of her parents stupidity. Sure hope the parents don't try putting the blame off on her. What a shame something like this had to happen. My prayers go out to the sister.

[deafdave3]

The parents are gonna have a very hard time getting the 8 year old to shoot again.

[bigmacque]

As much as I would hate to see a family broken up, I'm not sure those parents will get an opportunity to take the 8 yr old shooting again; the state may have something to say about their ability to parent.

[deafdave3]

As much as I would hate to see a family broken up, I'm not sure those parents will get an opportunity to take the 8 yr old shooting again; the state may have something to say about their ability to parent.

In Texas (and I think Louisiana), if a shooting is ruled accidental, it will not be turned over to CPS.

[bigmacque]

Well, lucky for them then, but still pretty sad. They also have to live with their own lack of common sense.

[ccw9mm]

[Parental FAILURE!]

Police: 4-year-old girl accidentally killed by sibling

"There were two families in that area doing some target-shooting practice," Sprong said. "The 8-year-old was practicing on a .22-caliber firearm. While she was shooting, the 4-year-old darted out in front of her."

Add simple "tunnel" vision of a young shooter to a second, precocious child who's not on a leash, and you have a potential risk for what happened. Sounds like something that could happen to anyone during a pistol training shooting day with friends and neighbors.

Agreed, that the youngest children should have had parents right next to them at all times, particularly when the line was "hot" and shooters were near loaded guns. But, we all know how quickly 4yr old kids can dart away. Unless that child was on a leash and physically restrained, it might well not have been in a parent's capacity to stop that child from darting out in front of the line. Restraint of such smaller kids would have to be IMO well away from the line, with a parent next to each child (possibly holding on or with a leash), with each of the monitoring adults being prepared to howl "CEASE FIRE!!!" in the event a risky situation was seen brewing.

"Parental" failure? Perhaps they could have done more. Greater distance and more diligent chaparone services, at least, yes. Leash, otherwise, yes. I hope that I would have taken greater precautions as well, with young kids around. At the shooting range where I go, the active shooting line is well forward of the area where spectators may view the shooters, which would give adults who were monitoring and playing chaperone to young kids the opportunity to yell for a cease fire before tragedy struck. Certainly, I'd want a single adult charged with watching each individual child, to keep things simple.

Tragic.

[QKShooter]

Ditto: ccw9mm