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As reported by the Anchorage Daily News:
Gun fires, wounding Wasilla girl
SHOT IN NECK: Two children were alone in camper near Summit Lake.
By MEGAN HOLLAND
Anchorage Daily News
Published: June 9, 2007
Last Modified: June 9, 2007 at 01:30 AM
A 9-year-old Wasilla girl is recovering from a gunshot wound to her neck after a handgun that her 10-year-old brother was handling went off, Alaska State Troopers said.
The girl was at the Alaska Native Medical Center in serious condition Friday.
Troopers say she and her brother were alone in the family's camper near Mile 191 of the Richardson Highway, near Summit Lake, when he pulled a gun off a shelf, loaded it and put it down on a couch. The youngster intended to take it outside as protection against bears when they went out to play. Somehow, though, it went off.
The boy's father works for an Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. excavating contractor, according to Alyeska spokesman Mike Heatwole. The father and his family were planning to stay at the campsite for most of the summer while he worked nearby on the pipeline.
On Wednesday, the children's mother left the kids in the care of another camper who was also parked at the pullout while she went to run errands, said trooper Sgt. Tim Tuckwood. The children were alone at the time of the accident. It is unclear where the person caring for the kids was at the time of the shooting.
The girl was sitting on a couch and her brother sat down on the opposite end, placing the .22-caliber handgun on the couch when it fired, troopers said. It wasn't immediately clear what made the gun fire.
The girl remained conscious until medics and a helicopter arrived. She was first taken to Gulkana, then to the Anchorage hospital.
The children's mother declined to comment when reached at the hospital Friday.
In November, a 5-year-old Kasilof boy died after a sibling pulled the trigger on a .30-30 rifle. Troopers at the time would not say which of the boy's three siblings, all under 7 years old, fired the gun. The child climbed to a high shelf in the family's home to retrieve it and shot the 5-year-old in the stomach.
This unfortunate story can be found at; http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/matsu/story/8961378p-8877042c.html
- Janq
Lesson Learned: This is why states like MA require a gun safety lock be provided with every firearm purchase. One can walk into most any police dept. be it state or local and ask for a free gun lock and they'll likely be given two. I've got like ten of them laying around the house for various purposes all of them handouts from police. There is no good reason to have a firearm and it's ammunition sitting around on shelves for unauthorized access by young children.
This will be yet another instance and addition to the gun statistics which Sarah Brady will use to limit if not eliminate our national freedom to possess firearms. This instance was completely avoidable.
Gun fires, wounding Wasilla girl
SHOT IN NECK: Two children were alone in camper near Summit Lake.
By MEGAN HOLLAND
Anchorage Daily News
Published: June 9, 2007
Last Modified: June 9, 2007 at 01:30 AM
A 9-year-old Wasilla girl is recovering from a gunshot wound to her neck after a handgun that her 10-year-old brother was handling went off, Alaska State Troopers said.
The girl was at the Alaska Native Medical Center in serious condition Friday.
Troopers say she and her brother were alone in the family's camper near Mile 191 of the Richardson Highway, near Summit Lake, when he pulled a gun off a shelf, loaded it and put it down on a couch. The youngster intended to take it outside as protection against bears when they went out to play. Somehow, though, it went off.
The boy's father works for an Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. excavating contractor, according to Alyeska spokesman Mike Heatwole. The father and his family were planning to stay at the campsite for most of the summer while he worked nearby on the pipeline.
On Wednesday, the children's mother left the kids in the care of another camper who was also parked at the pullout while she went to run errands, said trooper Sgt. Tim Tuckwood. The children were alone at the time of the accident. It is unclear where the person caring for the kids was at the time of the shooting.
The girl was sitting on a couch and her brother sat down on the opposite end, placing the .22-caliber handgun on the couch when it fired, troopers said. It wasn't immediately clear what made the gun fire.
The girl remained conscious until medics and a helicopter arrived. She was first taken to Gulkana, then to the Anchorage hospital.
The children's mother declined to comment when reached at the hospital Friday.
In November, a 5-year-old Kasilof boy died after a sibling pulled the trigger on a .30-30 rifle. Troopers at the time would not say which of the boy's three siblings, all under 7 years old, fired the gun. The child climbed to a high shelf in the family's home to retrieve it and shot the 5-year-old in the stomach.
This unfortunate story can be found at; http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/matsu/story/8961378p-8877042c.html
- Janq
Lesson Learned: This is why states like MA require a gun safety lock be provided with every firearm purchase. One can walk into most any police dept. be it state or local and ask for a free gun lock and they'll likely be given two. I've got like ten of them laying around the house for various purposes all of them handouts from police. There is no good reason to have a firearm and it's ammunition sitting around on shelves for unauthorized access by young children.
This will be yet another instance and addition to the gun statistics which Sarah Brady will use to limit if not eliminate our national freedom to possess firearms. This instance was completely avoidable.
