It's the sort of crushing news nobody needs to hear — a 2-year-old kid in Indiana found a stacked weapon inside his home and shot himself while his mom was in the following room. As per Indiana State Police, the kid, Leighton Owings, passed on at the clinic in the wake of being struck by a single bullet.
A 2-year-old baby in Indiana discovered a loaded pistol inside his residence and fired himself when his mom was in the next room. It's the sort of shocking news no one ever needs to know. The child, Leighton Owings, died in the hospital after being shot by a single bullet, as per the Indiana State Police.
Police continue to evaluate the issue that led to the death of the child, although early information shows that his mom was feeding Leighton's baby sister in the next room.
While gun injuries represent an enormous portion of the gun violence crisis, there is no centralized system for tracking these injuries. @Everytown is filling this void with data & analysis not readily available to the public elsewhere. Read their report. https://t.co/IPQBklhVBJ pic.twitter.com/tKKx9jZVBi
— Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) December 17, 2020
It's a tragic occurrence that illustrates how essential it is for people who own guns to lock up their arms while kids live at home. Unfortunately, this sort of thing exists all too often.
It is unbelievably tragic to learn about any young child's demise. It feels much more tragic when death should possibly have been stopped. Whether there was a pistol where such a small baby could find it is unclear. Yet the police continue to investigate.
Fairmont, Indiana toddler boy accidentally shoots self dead as mom fed sister in next room https://t.co/0tECCpQyaH #Leighton Owings #gun violence #Caci Seals
— Scallywagandvagabond (@ScallywagNYC) December 17, 2020
To help the family, a GoFundMe campaign has been arranged, including Leighton's mum, Caci Seals, Raelynn, her baby daughter, and Noah Collins, her fiancé. The memorials on the website have been coming in. "We are all so very saddened by the sudden loss of this sweet sweet boy," said Amber Wilson the sister of Noah Collins who began the fundraiser.
NEWS: Police say 2-year-old Leighton Owings found the loaded handgun in a bedroom of his family's home in Fairmount. He then pulled the trigger and shot himself.
— 93 WIBC Indianapolis (@93wibc) December 16, 2020
https://t.co/ZjNstOg0bM
It's so difficult to learn about these events, but what's even more disturbing is that the death of Leighton occurred just days after a 5-year-old Georgian girl was killed when an adult was in another bedroom after engaging with a handgun in a hallway. In that scenario, for leaving the weapons unattended, a 36-year-old man was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to minors.
“Ghost guns have become the weapon of choice for violent criminals and dangerous extremists because they’re untraceable and available to anyone, no background check and no questions asked." - Nick Suplina, managing director of law and policy, @Everytown https://t.co/GjwpSRDU13
— Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) December 18, 2020
This year, with more persons staying at home, the number of accidental shootings by children has risen. Between March and April, there was a 43 per cent rise in such shootings relative to such months in the previous three years. It's a very big swing in the wrong way, particularly because groups like Moms Demand Action have been trying extremely hard to educate the masses about gun safety.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, 44 murders were related to domestic violence in this year — accounting for an astounding 175% increase from 2019.
— Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) December 18, 2020
Access to firearms makes domestic abusers five times more likely to kill their victims. https://t.co/HLFPWAkSMw
The community is saddened by the loss of this boy. He is lovingly defined on the GoFundMe page as "smart, funny and fun to be around." It also says "He loves his family and loved life."
Although it appears that in this case there could have been some neglect on the part of the parents, the circumstance may not be more disastrous. Any mom knows the chaos in the house of raising a child and an infant. It's always a requirement to slip into the next room to nurse your child. The unthinkable existed in this situation.
The gun safety movement has made great strides in 2020, topped off by the election of the strongest gun safety ticket in U.S. history, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
— Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) December 17, 2020
Help us make 2021 another breakthrough year for gun safety. Donate today. https://t.co/4agxeuTzhN
An 11-year-old boy in Woodbridge, California, fatally shot himself in another horrifying incident. It took place when he was at home studying online, as per Mom's Demand Action. A week before that, a 12-year-old boy shot and killed a friend of the same age in Henderson, North Carolina. It feels that these events are almost endlessly in the press.
Eight years ago today, the lives of 20 children and six educators were taken in a shooting at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut. Today and every day, we hold the victims and survivors in our hearts as we continue to fight for an America free from gun violence. pic.twitter.com/11o8tb4DHT
— Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) December 14, 2020
It is unbearable to think about what, after the tragedy of their child, this poor family must go through. Eventually, when it comes to gun control, this tragic event encourages people to understand how important it is to take all the necessary precautions. That becomes infinitely more meaningful when kids are living at home.
A VA gun owner is facing charges after a 5-year-old boy mistakenly brought a backpack with a gun inside into a school.
— Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) December 14, 2020
The onus is on adults to ensure children don’t gain access to guns. #BeSMART: Store guns locked, unloaded & separate from ammunition. https://t.co/Yfz7lFyP87