Mother Learns The Hard Way To Keep Firearms Away From Child

HAMILTON, OHIO — Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser has formally announced all criminal charges will be dropped against Elizabeth Green in connection with the death of her child last week.   Last Wednesday, Marques Green, 3, got access to his mother’s concealed carry firearm in her purse and accidentally discharged it into his own chest.

According to witnesses at the scene, the boy died immediately.

In a prepared statement, the prosecutor laid out specifically why charges wouldn’t be filed.

“The shear enormity and permanency of this loss to the mother far exceeds the power of the state to punish the mother for her inattention under circumstances that should have been obvious to her.  She did have firearm training and a permit to carry a concealed weapon.  To be sure, the punishment she will impose on herself will far exceed any punishment that may otherwise have been available to do justice in this tragedy.”

New sources confirm that the mother had indeed received firearms training as part of Ohio’s requirements for a concealed carry permit.

The county prosecutor went through with a preliminary hearing in front of a jury for the purposes of determining all factors surrounding this case.  Negligence was indeed at fault as the prosecutor alleged that Ms. Green did not take the time to secure her concealed carry firearm in her purse so that her son could not gain access to it.

Learning The Hard Way – Carrying Concealed Demands Safety

Despite many states – including Ohio – having mandatory training requirements which cover gun safety, training does not fix complacency.  It’s a good thing for a concealed carrier to become used to carrying a firearm.  And for women with busy schedules, it’s hard find a concealed carry holster option that accommodates best.

But, there is simply no substitute – none – for always following the four fundamental principles of firearm safety.  And this includes securing the weapon in such a way that a young child may not have access to it.  Once the child is old enough, it’s important to educate him or her on what a firearm is – in a safe, secure training environment.

Purse carry is already a huge issue.  It’s not a secure option for transporting a weapon and it’s a platform which is prone to being stolen or accessed by people who have no business being near a firearm.

Just last December, a tragic incident occurred in Walmart that involved a similar situation.  With four children in tow that morning, Veronica Rutledge was shopping when her youngest found her pistol in her purse, withdrew it, and fatally shot her in the chest.

Rutledge and Green both paid an unfortunate price for not securing their firearms.

It doesn’t matter how much training a person has – it comes down to complacency.  And for concealed carriers, complacency kills.

Before we go casting stones, though, isn’t it important to also focus on how complacency seeps into our lives?  No one is immune.  And in order to prevent tragedies like this from occurring, we as a community have to police our habits.

What do you do to snap yourself out of complacency?  Tell us about it in the comments section below.