Boy hides behind paper target during gun practice

[troylaplante]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5429940.html

Boy shot and killed during family outing
Pat Pheifer and Matt McKinney, Star Tribune
May 30, 2005

A 4-year-old boy was shot and killed Sunday afternoon after he slipped undetected behind a paper target that family members and friends were using for gun practice.

The group had gathered for the long holiday weekend at a trailer on Lake Vermilion in northeastern Minnesota when the accident happened shortly before 1:45 p.m., authorities said.

There had been light rain on and off all day, but the group decided to get in a little target practice in the yard.

They didn't see the boy standing behind one of the paper targets.

The target didn't completely obscure the child, but he was wearing camouflage pants, making him difficult to see against the foliage, said Sgt. James McKenzie of the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.

A 40-year-old man who is a friend of the family was shooting a 45-caliber handgun at the target from about 30 feet away. The bullet hit the target and then struck the 4-year-old and killed him, McKenzie said.

The boy and his family are from Chisago City, Minn., about 40 miles north of the Twin Cities. Their names were not released Sunday night.

Thirteen people had gathered at the property in the Tower area for the long holiday weekend, authorities said. The owner, the boy's grandfather, had just a trailer with a screen tent there.

"They thought they had the kids under control," McKenzie said.

After the shooting, people snatched up the boy and rushed to a nearby lodge for help. An ambulance and rescue workers arrived, but there was nothing they could do, the sergeant said.

"I was here when the boy was here," said a woman who works at the Glenwood Lodge in Tower. She asked that her name not be used, but said she helped the father and the man who shot the boy as they tried to resuscitate him.

They had the boy outside, along the circular driveway at the front of the lodge on the lake shore.

The woman said the boy had been shot in the chest. She said the man who shot him was devastated.

"He wasn't drinking or anything like that," she said. The ambulance took the boy away and the man stayed at the lodge for several hours, taking a shower and standing alone on the docks.

"He just sat out there by himself," she said. The man eventually drove off in his pickup truck with his girlfriend, she said.

McKenzie said the incident was "a pretty straightforward accident." No charges are likely to be filed.

[jerry]

tragic. can't stress safety enough.

[ducktapehero]

That sucks.

[Oxford]

That's a tragic story. The parents were the ones who put the boy in camo clothes which helped camoflauge his location, they were totally responsible for where the projectile traveled after it was fired, and they pulled the trigger without bothering to verify that the site was safe to shoot. Nothing good could have happened with their minds running in "idle."

Regardless, now they're probably mourning the boy's loss and wishing they'd taken more precautions. Nevertheless, I feel sorry for them for the loss of their son.

[bob browning]

Not only guns,4 year olds need watching 100% of the time,no matter what...near water, road traffic, poisons. but guns and kids beware

[SPOCAHP ANAR]

Originally Posted by bob browning

Not only guns,4 year olds need watching 100% of the time,no matter what...near water, road traffic, poisons. but guns and kids beware

I concur and welcome to the site BOB.

[Doglips]

sad lesson in safty.

[Troy]

right or wrong, i'm not gonna beat on the parents, they have their whole lives to beat on themselves for me. goddam sick the boy lost his life. this is one of the saddest things i have heard. what a grim reminder of how vigilant you have to be when your a parent, and how serious that gun safety is.

[Rave]

That is a truely terrible story. One can only guess at the pain and guilt they feel,heartbreaking.

[Dennis]

it sounds like a terrible accident
That is what it was an accident
no one intended to harm the child
and a four year old that has been in the country could have known better.
if the kids are around firearms (as they obviously where)
the child Should have known better
This is Sad but then Accidents always are.

[Sniper[MI]]

Hmm...

I truly feel for the shooter as well as those that loved the child. It is sad.

And I was mad at the comment, "They weren't drinking or anything" makes all gun owners out to have alcohol and be drunk at the range is a normal event........I'll get over it.......

I am gonna armchair QB this one a bit, based solely on the report, and hypothetical situations.

When you are at a range, official type or makeshift, do you or do you not make sure all are off the range and know where they are before shooting?

Wouldn't you make extra sure you knew where all the kids are?

With kids around, wouldn't you be SURE they were all out of harms way, all the time? Appoint a non-shooter to leash em up as it were? (Same with dogs for that matter)

I will verbally chastize and correct anyone that puts a muzzle in an unsafe position, empty gun or not, much the same as anyone handling a gun on a cold range with people down range...

All Peeps I shoot with are told to triple check that a gun is not loaded and placed safely. No loaded weapons are to be laid down and left unattended either.

Check, check to be sure and check again! Always!!

This is one place in our lives where ZERO TOLERANCE is a good thing.

I will not shoot with reckless people. If someone is too much an idiot, I will never shoot with him or her again, ever.

Now at a public range with strangers around, like the one I shoot at, there are no police/range officials there most of the time. I always leave one person behind by the guns, and carry a loaded, holstered gun on my hip at all times. (Sorry I just don't trust strangers too much......)

I will leave a range if someone is being an idiot too. Remember I shoot at an unmanned outdoor rang in Bum F Junction.

I may be anal about it, but I'll be !!!!ed if I ever shoot someone or anything that I do not fully intend to!

Now, more info would be needed to truly comment on this situation/tragedy, but I believe my observations are valid on range safety.

[Shaun]

sad to read about -- just a reminder to thoroughly check your range for being clear -- the kid should have been dressed in brighter colors to make him easy to see.

[NorCalAshnjikov]

Originally Posted by Shaun

sad to read about -- just a reminder to thoroughly check your range for being clear -- the kid should have been dressed in brighter colors to make him easy to see.

or maybe someone should've checked behind the target?