An Albuquerque father is facing a child endangerment charge after police say he left a loaded .22 caliber gun with his 11-year-old daughter for her protection while he went to get a tattoo.
Now this part doesn’t sound so bad. It all depends on the girl, whom information is not given. Has she any experience handling a gun? What’s her proficiency level? I’ve certainly known people who were safe and responsible shooters at this age, and I’ve certainly covered defensive gun use stories where a child this age has successfully and safely defended themselves with a gun when home alone. Also Mas Ayoob started carrying a gun in his father’s jewelry store around this age. Of course the story leads me to believe otherwise:
a neighbor spotted his daughter with the firearm at an apartment complex swimming pool.
Authorities say the girl didn’t threaten anyone with the gun, but told officers her dad left her the weapon for protection.
Grahhh! Still leaves a little room for interpretation but if Dad is so concerned about his daughter’s safety why was the gun the #1 line of defense??? Now I grew up anti-gun, still around this age, probably younger, my Mom switched from the ugly night shift at the hospital to the day shift. Elementary school let out a lot earlier than Dad’s school, so I would say goodby to my folks and watch TV until it was time to walk to school. I’d lock up and go to school. Then I’d come home, unlock the door with a key pinned to the inside of my book bag, and play inside until Dad got home a few hours later.
The rules were #1: Come home alone. No Friends. And Lock the door. If somebody rang the bell there was a window with translucent curtains near the door where I could see who was there without them seeing me. If I didn’t know them, don’t answer the door.
Now if somebody rang the bell to see if anybody was home, and if nobody answered then decided to break in, well I’d be in a pickle. I had a few things that could be used as weapons if I REALLY needed to, but a little kid with an aluminum baseball bat or a carving knife against an adult isn’t much. A gun might be nice.
Still if Dad was much more serious about safety he would have been better served to leave the gun (assuming the girl is safe and proficient in that arm) and tell her to leave the door locked and not answer it. If somebody FORCES their way into the home, well then it’s weapons hot time, and it would be hard to argue against that.
Still what was she doing at the pool? Just walking around? Was she going for a swim? What was she going to do with the gun if she hopped in the pool.
Just a bad idea from every angle I can game it out.
Sounds a lot like viewing the gun as an Amulet of Protection from Evil +75, rather than a tool.
The pool was more dangerous than the gun.
Equally dangerous in this instance since nobody was hurt or even threatened
Uh, Respectfully Disagree Time. It’s 2014. If you think that one’s 11 year old Daughter needs to be Armed while Home Alone because one LEFT HER BEHIND TO GET A TATOO, then one doesn’t need to have that Daughter living with him in the first place. Take her with you, get a Babysitter, or Don’t Go. And if you have the Money to get a Tat, then you have the Cash to get a Baby-sitter.
No Excuses.