An 8 year old girl in Grain Valley, MO was killed today by the negligence of adult(s).
Fox News indicates that this tragedy occurred in the 1200 block of NW Phelps Drive around 5:35 p.m today. However, the news agency got the story wrong in reporting it as an “accidental” shooting, since there is no such thing as an accidental shooting. Instead, it appears that one or more adults was negligent in the storage of their gun, and one or more adults were negligent in the eduction of their children about the importance of gun safety.
The difference between “accidental” and “negligent” goes far beyond just semantics. “Accident” refers to an event that occurred despite the use of proper care and skill. Accidents are not anyone’s fault. “Negligence” refers to a failure to exercise the proper care and skill that a reasonable person would have exercised. Negligence is the fault of a person. In this case, it seems that the parents of at least one child failed to teach their child the basics of gun safety. This error combined with the failure of another person to store their gun in a safe and responsible fashion. The result was the loss of a child’s life.
The gun control lobby uses cases like this to argue for strict gun control, when what is needed is an increase in personal responsibility. Please store your guns safely, and teach your children the basics of gun safety.