COLUMBUS, OHIO — A young couple and their 7-year-old boy were brutally shot and killed by their neighbor, Barry Kirk. Barry Kirk’s motives were never fully realized or discovered — and likely they’ll never be because he was shot dead by police while attempting to flee the scene. After gunning down Kirk, the police realized he had entered the murdered family’s domicile. Going inside, they discovered a wounded 12-year-old girl listed in critical condition. One survivor, three family members gone, according to NBC.
This should have been a defensive gun use (DGU) incident.
It’s impossible to know when violent men will come to our doorsteps. That’s not for us to decide. What we do have control over is what greets those violent men on the other side of that door.
As much as we’d all like to believe that the world is predictable and people are mostly good, the truth is that’s not a known value until it’s proven. For this family, that lesson came at the highest cost.
As concealed carriers, too often we’ll take off the gun when we get home. It’s a place to relax and enjoy our family or just some peace and quiet. Stories like this just hammer home the point: the gun needs to stay on. On or easily accessible. When moments count, no one wants to be fiddling with a gun safe.
For those with families with younger children, it’s important to educate them on the role that guns play in the household. It’s also important that the gun owner maintains direct control of that firearm at all times.
These two things will do more to prevent tragedies like this from happening. Our prayers and well-wishes to that 12-year-old girl. May she recover and find solace in the company of extended family and relatives.