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As reported yesterday in the Orlando Sentinel:
Volusia shooting death puts focus on gun safety
A man who accidentally killed his friend said he played with guns often, according to police.
Kristen Reed | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted January 3, 2007
A 20-year-old who accidentally shot his friend in the forehead minutes before New Year's Day wasn't following a key rule of gun safety: Always assume a gun is loaded.
Sean Page told investigators he often jokes and plays around with guns and it's common for him and his friends to point the firearms at one another.
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John Debella Jr.
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Sean Page
"Never point it at anything you don't want to kill," said Bob Applegate, who runs the shooting range for the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. "Every handgun should be considered loaded at all times. That's a standard rule."
Safety guidelines published by the National Rifle Association say gun users should keep weapons pointed in a safe direction and keep their fingers off the trigger until they are ready to shoot.
Page told investigators he placed the barrel of the .45-caliber handgun on John Debella Jr.'s temple in jest when Debella, 19, grabbed the gun to place it at the center of his forehead. Page said that moved his hand slightly, causing him to press against the trigger.
"I shot him. I shot him, he pushed my finger . . . I can't believe I was dumb enough to have my finger on the trigger," he blurted out to officials at the Derbyshire Road home before his arrest on a manslaughter charge.
Kerry Scullin, Page's mother, was home with her 4-month-old baby during the incident. She declined to comment Tuesday.Page remains in jail without bail.
Page said he did not know the gun was loaded and he keeps his finger inside the trigger guard based on training he received in the Army, where he says he remains on active duty, investigative reports state.
Details about Page's enlistment and training were not known Tuesday, as federal offices recognized a national day of mourning for President Gerald Ford. According to the Army's Web site, all recruits learn basic rifle marksmanship as early as the third week of the nine-week basic training.
The fourth week is dedicated to the topic, which includes safety guidelines, range procedures and target shooting.
Applegate, who was not speaking specifically about this weekend's incident, said he always teaches gun users to keep their finger outside the trigger guard because it's easy to accidentally fire a weapon. All it takes is a startled move or involuntary response for something to go wrong, he said.
Sunday night's shooting was at least the fifth in Volusia County since April that was the result of an accidental discharge. One was fatal.
Debella's mother, Martha, said she was shocked to hear her son was involved in horseplay with guns. Since he and his brother, Joseph, were "old enough to crawl," she said, she and her husband stressed the dangers of firearms. She said they never allowed them in their home.
Her brother-in-law committed suicide with a gun, and one of John Jr.'s classmates accidentally shot his twin brother to death when the boys were in seventh grade, she said.
Debella said she's trying to be as compassionate as her son would be.
She is not sure she wants long jail time for Page.
"Johnny wouldn't want it to turn out the way it's turning out," she said.
Kristen Reed can be reached at [email protected] or 386-851-7924.
The story can be found at; http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/orl-shooting0307jan03,0,6067546.story?track=rss
- Janq
Note: Basic firearm safety rules & pracitices FTW!
Follow them people. Firearms are not toys and toys are not firearms, contrary to some folks oh I'm being safe look ma no bullet assumptions.
If folks wouldn't do crap like this then we'd have alot less incidents such as this, like zero.
Volusia shooting death puts focus on gun safety
A man who accidentally killed his friend said he played with guns often, according to police.
Kristen Reed | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted January 3, 2007
A 20-year-old who accidentally shot his friend in the forehead minutes before New Year's Day wasn't following a key rule of gun safety: Always assume a gun is loaded.
Sean Page told investigators he often jokes and plays around with guns and it's common for him and his friends to point the firearms at one another.
John Debella Jr.
Sean Page
"Never point it at anything you don't want to kill," said Bob Applegate, who runs the shooting range for the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. "Every handgun should be considered loaded at all times. That's a standard rule."
Safety guidelines published by the National Rifle Association say gun users should keep weapons pointed in a safe direction and keep their fingers off the trigger until they are ready to shoot.
Page told investigators he placed the barrel of the .45-caliber handgun on John Debella Jr.'s temple in jest when Debella, 19, grabbed the gun to place it at the center of his forehead. Page said that moved his hand slightly, causing him to press against the trigger.
"I shot him. I shot him, he pushed my finger . . . I can't believe I was dumb enough to have my finger on the trigger," he blurted out to officials at the Derbyshire Road home before his arrest on a manslaughter charge.
Kerry Scullin, Page's mother, was home with her 4-month-old baby during the incident. She declined to comment Tuesday.Page remains in jail without bail.
Page said he did not know the gun was loaded and he keeps his finger inside the trigger guard based on training he received in the Army, where he says he remains on active duty, investigative reports state.
Details about Page's enlistment and training were not known Tuesday, as federal offices recognized a national day of mourning for President Gerald Ford. According to the Army's Web site, all recruits learn basic rifle marksmanship as early as the third week of the nine-week basic training.
The fourth week is dedicated to the topic, which includes safety guidelines, range procedures and target shooting.
Applegate, who was not speaking specifically about this weekend's incident, said he always teaches gun users to keep their finger outside the trigger guard because it's easy to accidentally fire a weapon. All it takes is a startled move or involuntary response for something to go wrong, he said.
Sunday night's shooting was at least the fifth in Volusia County since April that was the result of an accidental discharge. One was fatal.
Debella's mother, Martha, said she was shocked to hear her son was involved in horseplay with guns. Since he and his brother, Joseph, were "old enough to crawl," she said, she and her husband stressed the dangers of firearms. She said they never allowed them in their home.
Her brother-in-law committed suicide with a gun, and one of John Jr.'s classmates accidentally shot his twin brother to death when the boys were in seventh grade, she said.
Debella said she's trying to be as compassionate as her son would be.
She is not sure she wants long jail time for Page.
"Johnny wouldn't want it to turn out the way it's turning out," she said.
Kristen Reed can be reached at [email protected] or 386-851-7924.
The story can be found at; http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/orl-shooting0307jan03,0,6067546.story?track=rss
- Janq
Note: Basic firearm safety rules & pracitices FTW!
Follow them people. Firearms are not toys and toys are not firearms, contrary to some folks oh I'm being safe look ma no bullet assumptions.
If folks wouldn't do crap like this then we'd have alot less incidents such as this, like zero.
