What's this about a young boy caught on camera playing with a gun?

[ballroombelle]

Just heard this quickly on the morning news...

A couple's young son was caught on tape playing with a gun outdoors, presumably in their yard. The gun, at times, was pointed at his face.

The parents seemed to be trying to defend themselves...the gentleman said that he had been instructed in the same way when he was a young boy and that he and his wife were in the process of instructing their own son. The boy , who looked 4-5 years old, seemed unsupervised at the time the camera was rolling...anything could've happened in those seconds. Apparently, they were drinking at the time, as well(????)

I'm just unnerved by the sight of those parents- indignant,no less!-insisting that they did no wrong.

Where did this happen...I'm not sure where to do a news search.

 

[I_Know_You2!]

Wondering who was videotaping, and assuming the gun was unloaded? Not that a 4 year old should be pointing a gun at his face regardless.

 

[lightningcoach]

:36 p.m. CDT July 27, 2004 - A woman in Suffolk, Va., takes home video of a neighbor's 3-year-old child playing with a gun.
Here's the article- very scary:


"A couple in Virginia has been charged with felony child endangerment after a neighbor videotaped their 3-year-old son playing with one of their guns.

The video shows the boy playing with a pistol.

Neighbors said his parents were taking target practice nearby.

The parents said the gun was not loaded and the boy was in no danger.

The couple's three children have been placed with relatives.

Some who have seen the video have been critical of the neighbor for not dropping the camera and getting the gun away from the boy.

The neighbor said she did not want to startle the boy because she was concerned for his safety, as well as her own"

 

[I_Know_You2!]

Oh my! 3 years old and they had been target practicing! That is incredible! If that guy had been taught anything about guns and was teaching anything about guns (to a 3 year old? )he would have made sure it was never pointed at someone! But then again that would be ABSURD for a 3 year old to know!

I do think that I would have done more than video tape, however.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

 

[heart4pooh]

My understanding is that the gun wasn't loaded. But my husband is a very safe hunter and still lost his left leg above the knee in a freak hunting accident!!! The safety was on, but the gun hit something (long story) and cracked up the middle and released the safety. Anyhow, I freaked last night when my son pointed a PLAY gun at his friend's head!!!! OMG!!!! I bet he never does that again!!!!

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

I saw this yesterday, the child was 3 years old. They need to charge the parents with something, at least reckless endangerment, BUT they also need to charge the neighbor who though it was more important to videotape it and not go out there and stop it. What kind of person does that?!

 

[chichihoney]

i heard it on the news and suffolk is across the water from me. and i was shocked

 

[shortbun]

I think the neighbor who did the taping is very brave. She's
a neighbor after all and they got their kids taken away because
they are idiots! Who knows what they might decide to do to
her. It was her tape that convinced the authorities to prosecute
these people for felony child endangerment.

 

[Grog]

I'm also glad the neighbor taped it and I hope the parents are punished to the fullest extent of the law. It's idiots like them that give responsible, safety minded gun owners a bad name.

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

Brave? I wonder how brave she would have been if the little boy would have blown his head off. Then people would have been saying that she should have gotten off her lazy behind and went out there and taken the gun away from him instead of trying to prove some point by taping it. She could have done the right thing and THEN called the police. She was so busy trying to get proof that somebody could have been seriously hurt or killed and then we'd be having a completely different conversation, wouldn't we?

 

[Serena]

I would have taken the gun too. Someone else could have videotaped it.

A 3 yo does not need to have a gun in his hands. There is no point. He does not understand enough to know it's dangerous.

For that matter, people who are so clueless shouldn't have guns either. Target practicing while their toddler was playing with a gun. Something is majorly wrong here.

 

[Pam]

I agree with gymnasticsmom and Serena - I personally could not sit idly by and videotape for several minutes a child pointing a gun in his face, then zooming over to where the parents are sitting cross-legged on the ground firing at targets and then drinking beer, then a cut back to the child at the rear of the car, then cut away to a rifle leaning against the side of the car. She could have had plenty of time to run and disarm the child or notify the parents. At one point there were older siblings around the young child, too, she could have yelled at one of them to take the gun away from him.

The parents were flat out morons - our children were taught at an early age proper gun safety. I can assure you that they did not have access to either firearms or ammo at that age. Mixing alcohol and guns is just plain wrong.

 

[chyam]

This couple was on the Today show yesterday morning, and they actually think nothing is wrong with it.....they think more is wrong with their neighbor being so nosy to be videotaping them on their own property. Personally I think she did the right thing, if she would have gone out there whos to say that the parents with loaded guns and alcohol in their bloodstreams would not have turned their guns on her. I think this women is going to have hell to pay now just being their neighbor regardless of the outcome .

 

[robsmom]

Saw the video and am equally appalled at the parents and the neighbor. I am disturbed that any parent would leave a gun near a child even if they thought that it was unloaded. We all make mistakes and what if they were wrong and it was loaded!

That said, it is disgraceful that any adult would stand and videotape this and not do something. She has a long running dispute with her neighbors. While i can see why she does not like them, to allow a child to stay in danger to persue your vendetta is unacceptable behavior for any adult. If she was concerned that she was at risk she could have stayed behind cover and gotten the parents attention.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I don't know, unless there was a violent past situation, I don't think my first thought would be for my safety. I would, I believe, just pleasantly deal with the situation. (Then report it!) I have had to deal with violent and scary people through the years, and I have always found that if I don't put people on the defence, they are much more willing to listen to me.

It seems to me her goal was to cause trouble for this family. I do not doubt that there are concerns, but I have found many times that issues are blown waaay out of proportion when there are feuds going on. In other words, I doubt they would have shot her if she nicely let them know that the baby had the gun.

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

She video taped the whole thing out of spite, she did the wrong thing, it's as simple as that.

 

[ballroombelle]

I'm not sure what to make of the neighbor...I can imagine that there WAS some element of danger if she had dared to startle the child...I'm inclined to believe that that's not necessarily the case here. How sad.

 

[Pam]

A little personal story from me: I am deathly afraid of water as I almost drowned as a child and had to be saved by a lifeguard. I HATE water above my knees. I don't swim.

When our two were still young, we spent a winter weekend in a hotel with a hot tub, sauna, indoor pool. I am the type of parent who does not let her young children out of her sight. I watched those kids like a hawk, sitting on the edge of the pool. My husband was in the sauna. I noticed a young boy with those little floaties ripping around the pool without a care in the world. I was the only parent at the pool area. BAM! The boy goes into the deep part of the pool and goes under, then pops back up, then starts to go under again. Remember that I am TERRIFIED of water and can't swim. Without hesitation, I jumped in the pool and got the child. My kids are screaming. Finally the dad wanders over from the opposite side where he had been basking in the hot tub.

When another human being, especially a child, appears to be in mortal danger the average person will NOT pick up a video camera and tape the event. He/She will risk life and limb to get that person out of harm's way.

 

[ballroombelle]

Pam , you're absolutely right, of course. The example really helps clarify; I've never been in such a position.

If the neighbor believed the child was indeed in eminent danger (which she herself claims was the reason she was videotaping in the first place) good grief...how could she just stomach standing there and taping? Twisted.

I'm still nauseated by the parents as well, however.