http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_3994397
Boy, 5, fires off handgun
By Jonathan Graham
FITCHBURG -- A 5-year-old boy accidentally fired a round from a .38-caliber revolver Tuesday afternoon at a Columbus Street residence, according to Sgt. Glenn C. Fossa.
The bullet did not cause any injury, and did not travel into abutting apartments, Fossa said Wednesday.
"The male party said the reason (the gun) was not secured is he had to go get the key for the locker he usually uses to store it," Fossa said.
Fossa said the incident appears to be an "aberration."
"It's an unfortunate incident," Fossa said.
Fossa said police confiscated the Smith & Wesson handgun from its owner, Charlie Williams, and will send Williams a summons for the improper storage of a firearm.
Williams is properly licensed to own the handgun, Fossa said.
State law requires gun owners to keep firearms stored in a locked container, or the gun must have a "tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device."
Violations can be issued a fine not less than $500 and not greater than $5,000, be imprisoned for not more than one year, or both, according to state statutes.
Adults need to make sure their firearms are out of the reach of children, said Paul Marchione, executive director of Common Sense About Kids And Guns.
"Fortunately in this instance, no one was injured, but there are cases we put up on our Web site daily of children who come across a gun in their home and use it to hurt themselves or someone else, often ending in death," Marchione said.
Marchione said more than 13,000 kids are injured every year in the United States by guns.
"Accidental deaths have continued to decrease over the last 10 years, injuries are still on the rise," Marchione said.
"It's very important to talk to your children about guns, and that talk has to be age-appropriate, whether it's convincing a small child that guns are dangerous, or a more serious talk about peer pressure and the consequences of violence with your older children," Marchione said.
Marchione recommended gun owners unload their weapons when they lock them up, lock and store ammunition separately and hide keys where children can't find them.
John Green, director of education and training for the Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League, said every gun owner has a responsibility to keep guns away from children.
But parents need to teach young children to stay away from guns as well, Green said.
"If they see a gun: Stop, don't touch, leave the area and tell an adult," Green said, reciting the code of the group's Eddie Eagle gun safety program for pre-kindergarten to fifth grade children.
Boy, 5, fires off handgun
By Jonathan Graham
FITCHBURG -- A 5-year-old boy accidentally fired a round from a .38-caliber revolver Tuesday afternoon at a Columbus Street residence, according to Sgt. Glenn C. Fossa.
The bullet did not cause any injury, and did not travel into abutting apartments, Fossa said Wednesday.
"The male party said the reason (the gun) was not secured is he had to go get the key for the locker he usually uses to store it," Fossa said.
Fossa said the incident appears to be an "aberration."
"It's an unfortunate incident," Fossa said.
Fossa said police confiscated the Smith & Wesson handgun from its owner, Charlie Williams, and will send Williams a summons for the improper storage of a firearm.
Williams is properly licensed to own the handgun, Fossa said.
State law requires gun owners to keep firearms stored in a locked container, or the gun must have a "tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device."
Violations can be issued a fine not less than $500 and not greater than $5,000, be imprisoned for not more than one year, or both, according to state statutes.
Adults need to make sure their firearms are out of the reach of children, said Paul Marchione, executive director of Common Sense About Kids And Guns.
"Fortunately in this instance, no one was injured, but there are cases we put up on our Web site daily of children who come across a gun in their home and use it to hurt themselves or someone else, often ending in death," Marchione said.
Marchione said more than 13,000 kids are injured every year in the United States by guns.
"Accidental deaths have continued to decrease over the last 10 years, injuries are still on the rise," Marchione said.
"It's very important to talk to your children about guns, and that talk has to be age-appropriate, whether it's convincing a small child that guns are dangerous, or a more serious talk about peer pressure and the consequences of violence with your older children," Marchione said.
Marchione recommended gun owners unload their weapons when they lock them up, lock and store ammunition separately and hide keys where children can't find them.
John Green, director of education and training for the Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League, said every gun owner has a responsibility to keep guns away from children.
But parents need to teach young children to stay away from guns as well, Green said.
"If they see a gun: Stop, don't touch, leave the area and tell an adult," Green said, reciting the code of the group's Eddie Eagle gun safety program for pre-kindergarten to fifth grade children.
