http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/38311444.html?showAll=y&c=yShooting range supervisor shares safety guidelines
* By ASHLEY M. BAILEY
"East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tara Johnson looks through a cloud of smoke after firing a gun at a target on Thursday on the Sheriff’s Office firing range in Zachary. Johnson was using free time to practice shooting the gun."
The life of 15-year-old Esquire Williby ended on Jan. 17 with one tragic mistake.
Williby, who lived in Donaldsonville, was shot in the head by his 16-year-old cousin, said Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Chief Deputy, Tony Bacala, who described the shooting as accidental.
Williby’s cousin pointed the gun at the victim’s head and pulled the trigger, believing the gun was not loaded, Bacala has said.
The circumstances surrounding his death are hardly unique.
Williby’s death was followed five days later, on Jan. 22, by another accidental shooting also involving a teenage boy.
This time, a 16-year-old was shot in the chest while he and two other teenagers were playing with a gun, Baton Rouge police spokesman, Sgt. Don Kelly, said Friday. The boy suffered life-threatening injuries, Kelly said.
“This happens too often,” said Lt. Frank Washington, shooting range supervisor for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.
The most recent figures from the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that 789 people died in 2005 from accidental shootings.
Police agencies in Louisiana reported at least eight accidental shootings around the state last year. Six of the shootings were fatal and two happened in East Baton Rouge parish.
Part of Washington’s duty at the shooting range is to train law enforcement agents to safely carry and operate a firearm. He is also concerned with helping others make responsible decisions about guns.
“It’s important that anyone buying a gun know how to use it,” Washington said. He also said there are three basic rules that everyone must follow.
The first rule is to treat every gun as though it is loaded, he said. Washington said this rule is particularly important “if you’ve never seen (the gun) before or it’s your first time handling it.”
He recommended opening the cylinder first to make sure there is no ammunition in the gun. If there is, remove the ammunition before handling the gun, Washington said.
The second rule is never point the gun at anyone or anything you don’t want to destroy, he said.
The third rule is to keep your finger off the trigger unless you intend to fire the gun, Washington said.
All three tips might have saved Williby’s life and many others who have died from accidental shootings.
The gun used in Williby’s death belonged to the alleged shooter’s grandparents, relatives of both boys have said.
The grandparents, and many other parents and guardians, keep firearms in their homes and it is possible for children to get their hands on these weapons, Washington said.
Washington recommends that adults keep their guns under lock and key.
“When you weigh the features of losing a loved one and not having immediate access to a gun, I’d choose the latter,” he said.
Washington urges parents to teach their children to make better decisions before allowing them to use guns. The state mandates that anyone seeking a permit to carry a concealed weapon undergo eight hours of firearm safety training.
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