Yesterday disaster was averted. A young man broke into his parents gun safe and took two pistols and an AK-47. He stashed the machine gun in a bathroom on the upper floor of his high school. What did he plan on doing, aside from the obvious? We hear stories similar to this one all the time, except this was where my older two daughters attend school. That brought it all home for me. My kids were in danger and the school was in lockdown.
But don't take it from me, here's the local news blurb.
But don't take it from me, here's the local news blurb.
Here is where several things went right.
The parents of the boy notified authorities right away. Nothing like your parents confronting you at school about the two Glocks in your backpack. The school went into lockdown and the boy was apprehended without a shot being fired.
Can I breathe a sigh of relief now?
In a statement to police, the boy said he planned to make some demands over the school intercom. What those demands were specifically, we won't know for sure.
First off, he's a boy. A troubled teen. My daughters confirmed he is a 17 year old sophmore with special needs. That must be taken into account considering the serious nature of what he did.
My question: Why is a gun the first answer to a problem when it should be the last?
Was he having trouble at school with grades? Bullies? A girl? Could he have had a problem with the school cafeteria selection?
All of these problems could be solved without the use of firearms. His parents are gun collectors. You don't buy an assault rifle on a whim. So how did the boy get into the gun safe, and or bypass the trigger locks? I'm assuming they have a secure storage area such as a safe,
One of my rules is that no system is foolproof.
Parents have gun.
Child thinks 'toy,' and wants said gun.
Child will figure out a way to get the gun.
The question is how difficult are you, as a parent, are going to make it? The easy way would be to put protective locks on the pistols. Put the rifle in a gun safe. Under the bed or in a corner doesn't count.
If the boy is clever, he will look over his Dad's shoulders to get the combination, or find out where the keys for the locks are.
If you are a cautious parent, you make sure the combination is known only to one or two people... and no one is behind you.
Of course you don't have to have the weapons in the house, but that's just me.
In a statement to police, the boy said he planned to make some demands over the school intercom. What those demands were specifically, we won't know for sure.
First off, he's a boy. A troubled teen. My daughters confirmed he is a 17 year old sophmore with special needs. That must be taken into account considering the serious nature of what he did.
My question: Why is a gun the first answer to a problem when it should be the last?
Was he having trouble at school with grades? Bullies? A girl? Could he have had a problem with the school cafeteria selection?
All of these problems could be solved without the use of firearms. His parents are gun collectors. You don't buy an assault rifle on a whim. So how did the boy get into the gun safe, and or bypass the trigger locks? I'm assuming they have a secure storage area such as a safe,
One of my rules is that no system is foolproof.
Parents have gun.
Child thinks 'toy,' and wants said gun.
Child will figure out a way to get the gun.
The question is how difficult are you, as a parent, are going to make it? The easy way would be to put protective locks on the pistols. Put the rifle in a gun safe. Under the bed or in a corner doesn't count.
If the boy is clever, he will look over his Dad's shoulders to get the combination, or find out where the keys for the locks are.
If you are a cautious parent, you make sure the combination is known only to one or two people... and no one is behind you.
Of course you don't have to have the weapons in the house, but that's just me.
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