MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE — A 76-year-old gun owner is facing charges of reckless endangerment of a deadly weapon after police say an 8-year-old boy found the man’s gun inside a World War II Jeep that was on display as part of Veterans Appreciation Day.
Not only did the child find the gun, but he thought it was a toy and pulled the trigger.
The bullet struck the child’s mother, who is listed in critical condition at the hospital.
The gun owner, Charles McFarland Jr., was eventually found after an investigation into the gun. He was arrested and sent to jail without bond.
It wasn’t immediately clear if McFarland was in the immediate area when the child found his gun, but it would seem that it could have fallen out of his pocket or got left behind by some other means. In any event, his firearm was unsecured and readily accessible for an 8-year-old to pick up.
As gun owners, this is an unacceptable thing to happen, and it’s enough to make us sick to our stomach. How is it possible to have something like this happen?
Responsibility is something that should be in our minds 100% of the time, especially when carrying a firearm. If your holster is so comfortable that you forget your firearm is there, a check once in a while should be part of your routine.
