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Best to keep guns far from kids, some say

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Hamilton City Schools resource officer Bob Gentry sits behind a variety of gun locking mechanisms available to keep your guns away from the wrong hands Wednesday, July 22, 2009, at the Hamilton Police Department. Staff photo by Nick Daggy

Daggy, Nick Hamilton City Schools resource officer Bob Gentry sits behind a variety of gun locking mechanisms available to keep your guns away from the wrong hands Wednesday, July 22, 2009, at the Hamilton Police Department. Staff photo by Nick Daggy

Some owners stress education, others insist on locking firearms away

By Everdeen Mason, Staff Writer Updated 7:44 AM Tuesday, August 4, 2009

HAMILTON — When it comes to gun safety and kids, there is serious disagreement — some people advocate letting children become comfortable with firearms, while others say to keep them far away.

“It’s about education and parents instructing kids properly,” said Hamilton police Detective Dan Stevenson. “Take the mystique away from them.” In his view, exposing children to firearms and firearm safety early on could save their lives.

Hamilton police officer Bob Gentry, who teaches local safety classes, agrees. “Take your family out and let them see how it works,” he said.

But for parents who feel uncomfortable about exposing their children to guns, the next choice is to keep the weapons as guarded as possible.

“If you’re going to have any type of tool, it’s the responsibility of the parent to protect the children,” said Joe Eaton, Southwest Ohio Chair of Buckeye Firearms Association. “The firearm should be locked away and inaccessible, and separate from ammunition.”

Guns should be regarded as a tiger in the home that can attack at any time, said Middletown police Detective Janice Jones.

Though some parents who keep guns teach their children gun safety, Jones said, “I think any kid can be dangerous around a gun.”

Juvenile detectives like Jones and Middletown police Detective Fred Shuemake agree children alone with guns is a recipe for disaster.

“It is a liability all the time,” said Shuemake who, like Jones, taught his four children gun safety.

Gun locks are easily found at the Hamilton Police Department.

“The police department gives free gun locks,” Stevenson said. “Just go and ask.” The police started with 5,000 cable gun locks to give away, and has four cases left. The locks work with semi-automatics and pistols.

Stevenson also said people should invest in a vault or safe, which can cost $30 and more. “As part of the (Concealed Carry Weapon) class we do a whole section on gun safety and not letting unauthorized people get a hold of the gun,” he said. This includes keeping the gun unloaded, and keeping the ammunition separate.

He also advised gun owners to resist the urge to store the firearm within reach of the bed.

“Do not keep the firearm with reach of the bed, so you have to get up and be aware of what you’re doing,” he said.

Just in case children do find a gun in the home, they can learn what to do with the Eddie the Eagle gun-safety program, taught by Officer Gentry as part of Safety Town and in Hamilton City Schools.

“It’s a really good program as far as youngings go,” Gentry said. The materials are supplied by the National Rifle Association, he added.

“Stop, do not touch, leave the area, tell an adult” is the mantra of Eddie the Eagle, Gentry said.Classes such as these can save the lives of those such as Zachariah Nesbitt, a 5-year-old Hamilton boy who police said died last month after shooting himself with his father’s gun. Stevenson said was probably too young to have seen the program at school.

The child’s death led police to charge his father, David Nesbitt, 35, with negligent homicide, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to Hamilton police.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Nesbitt, who was expected to turn himself in on Friday, July 31, but he had not done so as of Monday afternoon.

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Song For My Son / Children / Weapons
.
I have a gift of music entitled Song For My Son regarding children and weapons I invite you to view my song on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gey8...

God Bless all the children
Mickey

Mickey Carroll
3:11 PM, 10/8/2009

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All children should be taught how to safely handle a firearm. Adults who 'grew up with guns' tend not to have accidents. Those who are not taught firearm safety do.

Guns Save Lives
9:47 AM, 8/5/2009

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A gun lock like the red one shown in the picture would render a gun useless if needed quickly for self-defense. A better option for storage of a gun kept for that purpose would be a safe that can be opened in just a few seconds, even in the dark, with practice. Nobody wants to be fiddling with a gun lock then loading the gun when an intruder is threatening your family.

Ben Miner
7:10 AM, 8/5/2009

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Why not split the difference? Educate your kids as best as possible about gun safety AND keep the guns away from them unless you're also there. I'm pretty sure that teaching a small child gun safety is a great idea, but it also seems logical that a small child has no reason to be around a gun unless strictly supervised.

Doug
3:09 PM, 8/4/2009

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All good info. I know way to many people that sleep with guns, I guess they are really that scared or something.

Something that seems a bit strange here, the father of the child charged with negligent homicide, a first-degree misdemeanor, but when you leave your kid in a car to suffocate and die, that is just a bad accident, no charges filed. I do not understand just how that works out, seems both kids are dead by a GROWN up screwing up.

scoobydo
9:34 AM, 8/4/2009

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