4 Year Old Kills Deputy Wife

[Penny Lane 8,159]

(CNN) -- A pistol in the hands of a 4-year-old boy went off during a weekend cookout, killing the wife of a Tennessee sheriff's deputy who was showing his guns to a relative, state police said Monday.

No one saw the boy pick up the weapon before the shooting, which occurred Saturday night in Lebanon, east of Nashville, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Kristin Helm said. The single shot killed 47-year-old Josephine Fanning, the wife of Wilson County Sheriff's Deputy Daniel Fanning.

The couple were hosting family and friends at their house when Daniel Fanning and a relative went into a bedroom to check out some of Fanning's guns, Helm said. Josephine Fanning and the boy walked into the room later, and at some point the boy picked the loaded pistol up off the bed.

Helm said she wasn't sure of the relationship between the boy and the Fannings. The TBI, which investigates incidents involving law enforcement officers, is still conducting its probe, and no charges have been filed.

The gun involved was Fanning's personal weapon, not his service pistol, she said.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/08/us/tennessee-gun-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

My prayers go out to the family, but why would you be showing a loaded handgun to relatives? Any person who has a gun or several in the house, usually clears the weapon before they let anyone anywhere near it.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Who leaves a loaded gun on a bed in a room with a 4 year old?

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Who leaves a loaded gun on a bed in a room with a 4 year old?

That's what I meant. You would think that a law enforcement official would have been more careful. Either this was a tragic accident, or something else is behind it.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Unbelievable. How does anyone make sense of that?

[aaydrian 479]

Who leaves a loaded gun on a bed in a room with a 4 year old?

The question should be who enters a room with a 4 yr old where guns are being shown and keeps the 4 yr old in the room anyway?

[Teddy B 17,252]

Who leaves a loaded gun on a bed in a room with a 4 year old?

Just another fine upstanding citizen of Murika. Remember, that gun didn't kill that woman, the 4 year old did.

[mota bhai 2,675]

To those of you who would exploit this tragedy to advance your fascist "they're too irresponsible to have rights so let's take them away" argument, I warn you... stop.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

The question should be who enters a room with a 4 yr old where guns are being shown and keeps the 4 yr old in the room anyway?

What do you mean?

It doesn't sound like she walked into the room while they were being shown. The article says she walked into the room WITH the boy LATER and he picked up a loaded gun that was left on a bed.

Just another fine upstanding citizen of Murika. Remember, that gun didn't kill that woman, the 4 year old did.

The idiot who left a loaded gun where a child could get it is the guilty one. And he's responsible for the safety of others? Yikes.

Edited April 9, 2013 by Evylin

[JohnR! 5,495]

To those of you who would exploit this tragedy to advance your fascist "they're too irresponsible to have rights so let's take them away" argument, I warn you... stop.

Stupidity has never been seen by any court as a reason to take away the rights of any defendants, making such a notion pointless and non-germane to the topic.

[Teddy B 17,252]

The idiot who left a loaded gun where a child could get it is the guilty one. And he's responsible for the safety of others? Yikes.

Those are his guns, in his house, he can do whatever he wants with those guns in his house! Tell Obama to get out of his bedroom. 2nd Amenment! This is Murika baby! What idiot was watching that kid?

[mota bhai 2,675]

Stupidity has never been seen by any court as a reason to take away the rights of any defendants, making such a notion pointless and non-germane to the topic.

If you are familiar with the argumentative patterns of the anti-gun anti-constitutionalists here on VJ, you know that's not far off.

One American does something stupid involving a gun (it's always a gun, they never care about other things) and suddenly we need legislation that takes away the rights of us all.

Edited April 9, 2013 by amriki bhai

[aaydrian 479]

What do you mean?

It doesn't sound like she walked into the room while they were being shown. The article says she walked into the room WITH the boy LATER and he picked up a loaded gun that was left on a bed.

The article used present continuous tense like 'showing' which suggest the relative and gun owner were looking at the guns when the incident happened.

[mota bhai 2,675]

grammar nerd in da hizzouse! wut wut!

[Penny Lane 8,159]

The article used present continuous tense like 'showing' which suggest the relative and gun owner were looking at the guns when the incident happened.

"The couple were hosting family and friends at their house when Daniel Fanning and a relative went into a bedroom to check out some of Fanning's guns, Helm said. Josephine Fanning and the boy walked into the room later, and at some point the boy picked the loaded pistol up off the bed."

Sounds like she walked in with the boy later. Not while he was being shown guns.