'I thought of him like a son': Heartbreak of father after daughter's friend is killed playing with his gun

[Peikko 1,575]

California man Todd Francis faces four years in prison on child endangerment charges after a gun he owned and kept in his garage killed his daughter's friend. Francis pled guilty two counts of endangering a child this week, but said the threat of prison paled in comparison to the pain of responsibility he now feels. He recalls the June 2013 day of the incident as an ordinary one in which he had gone grocery shopping and left his teenage son in charge.

The computer specialist returned to find his home behind police tape and surrounded by law enforcement vehicles. 'I had groceries in my hand and you know...It was like every police squad car was in my neighborhood,' he said After he left daughter Cierra, 9, and her friend Eric Klyaz, 10, had found Francis' 9 mm pistol and were playing with it. The gun went off, and Eric was killed.

Francis told police the gun had been kept unloaded, stashed in a box inside the garage separate from the ammunition. Prosecutors argued it must have been loaded. Francis got the gun for home protection after a series of home invasions were reported in San Diego. 'It just terrified me to think that, you know, somebody could break into my house, with us there, and hold us captive,' he said. 'I feel horrible about what happened,' he added. 'I do feel accountable... I thought about him like a son, like another family member.' Francis said his wife took the children and left him after the accident. He has not seen his son or daughter since. He fears that his daughter's life has also been ruined by the accident. 'Keep your guns locked,' he said. 'And don't assume that you're in control of your household.'

In California - and 13 other states - adults are criminally responsible for storing guns unsafely. In Massachusetts, owners are even required to keep firearms locked up. According to a 2009 study by John Hopkins University, in states where there are felony penalties for leaving a gun accessible to a child - such as California, Florida, and Connecticut, there was a 31 per cent drop in accidental child shootings.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2560496/I-thought-like-son-Heartbreak-father-daughters-friend-killed-playing-gun.html#ixzz2tUzRH4sj
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Edited February 16, 2014 by The Truth™

[Karee 4,191]

Guy shouldn't have been charged with anything.

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't agree. I think he is responsible for the death. No gun, no death.

[Pooky 3,840]

Guy shouldn't have been charged with anything.

What part of "unsafe storage" doesn't cover preventing a 9 year old girl being able to shoot her 10 year old best friend with a stored firearm?

I don't agree. I think he is responsible for the death. No gun, no death.

Safely stored weapon, in compliance with CA law, also results in no death.

[Peikko 1,575]

What part of "unsafe storage" doesn't cover preventing a 9 year old girl being able to shoot her 10 year old best friend with a stored firearm?

Safely stored weapon, in compliance with CA law, also results in no death.

He was so concerned about home invasion he stored it in a garage and basically forgot about it. He should have got rid of it. Safely stored under lock and key? You seem to have no knowledge of the ingenuity and cunning of the average 9 year old. Of course, the other way to prevent such tragedies is to train your children for combat. I personally am more in favor of that particular 'solution'.

[Karee 4,191]

It was an accident. Accidents happen. That's another problem with this country, if someone dies, someone has to pay. I understand it's a law etc., but there was no intent.

[Peikko 1,575]

It was an accident. Accidents happen. That's another problem with this country, if someone dies, someone has to pay. I understand it's a law etc., but there was no intent.

I think you will find that various types of accidents that are considered preventable if simple safety measures are taken, not just accidents from improper storage of weaponry will result in your facing charges of criminal negligence and manslaughter and so it should be.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

It was an accident. Accidents happen. That's another problem with this country, if someone dies, someone has to pay. I understand it's a law etc., but there was no intent.

Hey! Accidents happen. My wife didn't intend to t-bone that car, so my insurance company should not have to pay, and my insurance premiums should not have to go up.

[Karee 4,191]

I think you will find that various types of accidents that are considered preventable if simple safety measures are taken, not just accidents from improper storage of weaponry will result in your facing charges of criminal negligence and manslaughter and so it should be.

I can see the guy being held responsible in civil proceedings, but charging him criminally goes too far in my book. He simply didn't lock up his gun, and while it's unfortunate someone died, I hardly see anything criminal about it. But hey there's a law against it in California, so off he goes to the joint. Not enough he has to live with it, and his wife split with the kids, let's go ahead and ruin another life in the name of retribution. It aint justice, that's for sure.

I'm sure some lawyer will swoop in with a civil suit to take whatever is left of the guys life.

Hey! Accidents happen. My wife didn't intend to t-bone that car, so my insurance company should not have to pay, and my insurance premiums should not have to go up.

They should charge her criminally. Lock her up. That's basically what hey did to this guy.

What if someone died in the accident? Do you think she should go to jail?

and so it should be.

In your opinion. Not mine.

[DavenRoxy 1,073]

While I agree that it's an adult's place to secure a weapon and the ammo, I don't think him going to jail is the answer here. Proper education of children can also prevent things like this from happening. There were guns in our house when I was growing up, but I knew better than to play with them unless we were out hunting or going shooting.

[Pooky 3,840]

It was an accident. Accidents happen. That's another problem with this country, if someone dies, someone has to pay. I understand it's a law etc., but there was no intent.

There may have been no intent, but there was negligence. When that negligence involves the safe-keeping of a firearm in CA, that is a felony.

[Karee 4,191]

There may have been no intent, but there was negligence. When that negligence involves the safe-keeping of a firearm in CA, that is a felony.

I get why he's going to jail. Because he broke a law in California. I just think it's unfair. Of course my opinion has no bearing on anything, just like any other opinion I post here.

[Pooky 3,840]

I get why he's going to jail. Because he broke a law in California. I just think it's unfair. Of course my opinion has no bearing on anything, just like any other opinion I post here.

It's as valid as anyone else's round here

[Peikko 1,575]

Criminal negligence is not confined to accidents with weaponry. You are not just going to be slapped with a civil suit if you leave your pool accessible and a kid drowns in it, you can be held criminally negligent if the circumstances warrant it. A gun is a weapon, it's not useful outside of shooting things with it. Leaving one accessible to children to play with that leads to a homicide is criminally negligent. What the sentence for such criminal negligence should be are up to the courts to decide. I don't think that someone should be tormented for such negligence, but nor should there be no consequences if a death occurs.

[Karee 4,191]

Criminal negligence is not confined to accidents with weaponry. You are not just going to be slapped with a civil suit if you leave your pool accessible and a kid drowns in it, you can be held criminally negligent if the circumstances warrant it. A gun is a weapon, it's not useful outside of shooting things with it. Leaving one accessible to children to play with that leads to a homicide is criminally negligent. What the sentence for such criminal negligence should be are up to the courts to decide. I don't think that someone should be tormented for such negligence, but nor should there be no consequences if a death occurs.

That's kinda my point. I doubt the guy that leaves his pool gate open is going to go to jail if someone drowns.