Firearms and Ammo storage

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11 years 11 months ago #14633 by mlotziii
Firearms and Ammo storage was created by mlotziii
Does anyone else think it is odd and inappropriate for the shooter in Newtown, CT to have access to his mothers firearms? Growing up my access to guns and ammo was always monitored and after I had proven to be responsible with them. I didn't have a stockpile of ammo and there were only hunting rifles and shotguns.

For most of my life I had a scoped shotgun in a case under my bed -- never loaded.

As a gun owner I'd never leave my handgun for my 3 year-old because obviously she is not responsible enough to know how to handle it. So why was a teen with so many issues allowed access to firearms. I think the NRA should also pass along the strong message that firearms owners need to be responsible for how their weapons are stored and who has assess to them.

I currently have firearms stored at my parents house and if I want them my father will get them out of the safe for me. I do not have access to his safe nor should I. If I show up drunk or in a rage he's not going to open it and give me a firearm. I hate to lay any blame with the mother who was killed but with so many alarming concerns about this heinous individual I can't imagine why the firearms were not secured better.

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11 years 11 months ago #14638 by Sharkey
Replied by Sharkey on topic Firearms and Ammo storage
I'm just guessing but I would bet, if she had them locked up, it was probably with a pad lock or something and while he was scheming, he probably searched quietly for the keys until he was ready to put his plan into action.

Agree about locking up weapons and definitely about mixing them with alcohol.

Keeping things FROM someone who lives within the house is a very tough process when not all gun owners can afford a nice combination safe or other NON key type devices to lock up their weapons. Not to mention a lot of people probably write down their combinations and leave em in a drawer or something anyway in case they forget them.

This kid was committed M. He planned it for God knows how long and while planning, made certain he had all the access he needed for whatever it was going to take to accomplish his sick mission. I mean he even smashed his computers which I am would be VERY interested to see what kinds of conversations he'd been having and with who over the past year or two.

When someone is that committed AND lives within a home with weapons, he is certainly going to take his time and find a way and not act until he has all the tools he needs. He was sick but certainly no dummy. The mother should have removed them from the home and placed them with relatives rather than keeping them around such a sick individual...

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11 years 11 months ago #14640 by 13fcolt
Replied by 13fcolt on topic Firearms and Ammo storage
I don't think access is at the root of it.
As far back as I can remember firearms were present in my life. Granted I didn't touch them as a toddler and neither did my kids when they were that young. However gun locks were in the form of education. I knew not to mess with them, as my kids know whats what and hands off. I am a strict and tough parent and it was AFTER my young ones demonstrated ability that they were allowed to have their own.

Also, consider access, in a sense, is what we are fighting to keep. I understand responsibility, but storage requirements is dangerous water to tread because it leaves us open to euro style weapons-never-leave-the-club restrictions. When it comes to freedom, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of tyranny.
If the blame lies with the mother, it was not in how she secured firearms, but in how she failed to raise her child. That, to me is the root of it.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Old18C

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11 years 11 months ago - 11 years 11 months ago #14641 by Sharkey
Replied by Sharkey on topic Firearms and Ammo storage
I don't really think I am "finding fault" with her buddy. I am simply stating that we all need to be aware of the state of mind of our children and if we own weapons and there is something potentially wrong with our kid(s), we should take every precaution BEFORE something happens rather than just relying on the "goodness in them" to keep them from injuring themselves or anyone else.

She was probably like so many other Americans with a kid who has "issues" and a locker full of weapons - never thinking that what could happen would.

I personally know 3 people who were injured in "home weapons accidents" and one of them has been living without his genitals for the past 35 years. All just childhood accidents caused by careless parents and kids with access to things they should not have been touching.

Accidents, premeditated murder, any of these things can happen when 1 of two things exist - careless gun owners with children thinking it will never happen to them OR, a calm, quiet, sick, scheming murderer with a plan and weapons in the home.

Bin Laden's greatest weapon was his patience. He never rushed into anything and is an ideal example for others to follow who also would do us (society) harm. Planning was done in this instance and under a loving mother's nose and it was simply a combination for disaster and only a matter of time.
Last edit: 11 years 11 months ago by Sharkey.

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11 years 11 months ago #14642 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic Firearms and Ammo storage
Grandpa gave me the .410 and sent me to kill squirrels in the corn crib the fall I turned 5. Mom and dad let me have all the guns and ammo I could buy in my room at 12. I reloaded at 15. This all would have ended if I would have shown a hint of irresponsibility! No matter what I thought of Dad's suggestions I followed them to the T for fear of losing my guns!
I honestly think this level of responsibility at a young age had a great deal to do with being a responsible citizen my whole life.
In my humble opinion things like this school shooting would happen a lot less if everyone had a gun. Don't focus on locking them up, focus on using them properly! All my Grandchildren get the chance to shoot with grandpa at age 5. I haven't got the mothers to agree to any hunting though :naughty:

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11 years 11 months ago #14644 by 13fcolt
Replied by 13fcolt on topic Firearms and Ammo storage
I'm with JT, fear of loosing my weapons was a big part of my childhood. (Does it show?) I couldn't guess how many millions of rounds I've fired in my life and never one ND. ever. There is an awareness among those of us that love this stuff, we care and respect and conduct ourselves a certain way when handling weapons. Even if my kids had no interest in shooting, I would work to instill this in them anyway.
I do not personally think the mother is at fault, but then I don't know anything about her either. She could have been a very disturbed individual herself, I will never know. What I do know is that this sicko was bent on murder. Even if he had no access to firearms at all and now way to get them, we would likely be discussing this sickos arson with fewer or no survivors. Same = same, I'm not putting my zippo in a safe.

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11 years 11 months ago #14646 by Siscowet
Replied by Siscowet on topic Firearms and Ammo storage
In Canada the law is that all firearms must be stored under lock and key. That alone will not stop things like NewTown. But it will stop a lot of accidents and possible thefts and possibly deaths and injury. It is a no brainer. If people can't afford a safe for their guns, NRA should offer financial assistance as a PR move. Agree with them or not NRA needs good publicity with the general public right now.

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11 years 11 months ago #14648 by mlotziii
Replied by mlotziii on topic Firearms and Ammo storage
My wife said the NRA should help fund police officers in schools as a PR move. Since schools can't even afford teachers is a lot of districts.

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11 years 11 months ago - 11 years 11 months ago #14654 by Sharkey
Replied by Sharkey on topic Firearms and Ammo storage
If nothing else, at least finance a full training course and a set of standardized tools, written by professionals, that will set the book mark for states to start with when it comes to school egresses and armed personnel within our schools.

Sort of a "training the trainers" kind of place or course that will standardize training throughout the country.

The best thing about standardizing things like this is the collaboration of information. If there is a focal point that will NOT be the federal government, hot and/or improved information can then cascade down to each individual state's certified trainers and then be handed out to each security team within each school.

The fed tend to hang on to things too long IF they ever let it out at all and vital information is horded for grandstanding later on.

A civilian focal point, geared to do NOTHING but improve systems and training would be, what I think, the way to go.
Last edit: 11 years 11 months ago by Sharkey.

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11 years 11 months ago #14665 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic Firearms and Ammo storage
I did a paper a couple years back on gun safety. I can't find the study now to quote the numbers but they showed pretty conclusively that training was the only variable that had a consistent impact on gun accidents, it even lessened suicides where locks did not. It was a long term study from some European university but they included numbers from around the world. America had the largest numbers of accidents but they didn't give the accident per gun ratio so it made sense we look more accident prone with firearms when we have so many. It works the same with car safety.

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