Unintended discharge with 9mm M&P Shield results in fatality.

[Dutchboyy]

This death is a very tragic story. If you have not heard about it, here are some quotes from the article:

"HAYDEN, Idaho - The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office says a two-year-old boy pulled his mother's gun completely out of a specially designed purse moments before it fired once, killing 29-year-old Veronica Rutledge."

"Sheriff's Deputies say Rutledge was shopping with her two-year-old son." . . . . "Deputies say she was just a few feet away from her shopping cart when her son pulled out her concealed 9 mm Smith & Wesson M&P Shield semi-automatic handgun from her purse."

The whole story is here:

Investigators detail moments before 2-year-old accidentally shot - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

There's no mention of whether this Shield had a thumb safety, or not. If it did have a thumb safety, we will probably never know if it was originally engaged, or not.

Most of us probably carry regularly, and none of us wants to see something happen like this. Can we have a thoughtful, respectful, discussion about what lessons we can learn from this tragedy?

We make decisions about what we carry, how we carry, and how we prepare. Maybe the contributions to this thread will help us make the best decisions we can.

 

[timn8er]

I can't get past the simple fact that she carried the weapon in such a way that a two year old was able to get hold of it. Of course it's tragic. Still, the kid should never have been able to get hold of it, in any circumstance!

 

[jeeps]

Maybe keep the chamber empty.Medina Police Chief & ex-ATF supervisor Patrick Berarducci accidently shoots self in right leg | cleveland.com

 

[speedyquad]

lesson one...the most important lesson here...don't carry off body where you don't have control of the firearm.

 

[PERAZZI]

On the body, semi-auto or revolver. In purse, revolver.

 

[Texas40]

lesson one...the most important lesson here...don't carry off body where you don't have control of the firearm.

This. She should NOT have left her handbag in the Cart with the kid. If she had kept the bag and weapon within HER control we would not be having this discussion.

Tragic event but IMO it boils down to irresponsibility on the part of the ADULT.

 

[Papa32129]

lesson one...the most important lesson here...don't carry off body where you don't have control of the firearm.

I agree with this^^^^^

Papa


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[SpringGunTunes]

Every time there is an accidental shooting it's immediately clear the rules have been broken. Tragic every time. Please be careful.

 

[scattershot]

I can't get past the simple fact that she carried the weapon in such a way that a two year old was able to get hold of it. Of course it's tragic. Still, the kid should never have been able to get hold of it, in any circumstance!

My understandin g is that the weapon was in a specially designed handgun holster/purse, and zipped into the bag. Tragic, to be sure, but hardly an unsecured firearm.

 

[USAF385]

My understandin g is that the weapon was in a specially designed handgun holster/purse, and zipped into the bag. Tragic, to be sure, but hardly an unsecured firearm.

A two year old was able to obtain it... hardly secured in my book.

 

[DeathF.above]

That's sad. If you have a LOADED WEAPON and a two year old CHILD, you have to be on top of things at all time. No excuses.

 

[Jayhawkokie]

Same thing happened in Tulsa about a month ago.

Police identify mother accidentally shot by toddler | www.fox23.com

 

[CaptRon956]

Very tragic accident that should never have happened. The first 8 pages of my S&W M&P shield are all warnings telling us not to do what this unfortunate mother did... Leave a loaded pistol unattended in a manner that a child can have access to it. It is a 24/7 responsibilty.

 

[speedyquad]

My understandin g is that the weapon was in a specially designed handgun holster/purse, and zipped into the bag. Tragic, to be sure, but hardly an unsecured firearm.

the purse was in the cart with the child, not under control of the mother.

 

[jimmymjr]

I believe the lesson to be learned is you can't leave a weapon in reach of a child regardless of how well you think it is secured. Now a mother is dead and the children will struggle with it for the rest of their life. I have become a little lax in my weapon handling this tragedy is a wake up call.

 

[dullh]

She paid the ultimate price for carelessness. Prayers to her family.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I agree with the general thought here that, however secured, a firearm should not be left in reach of a two year old. How many of us would place a firearm "secured" in a brand new Level III holster in the shopping cart next to a toddler? Not many, I suspect, and this was a purse with some Velcro and perhaps a zipper and snap?

 

[Arik]

lesson one...the most important lesson here...don't carry off body where you don't have control of the firearm.

This is THE ONLY lesson here. Someone could have just as easily stolen that purse.

 

[motorcyclejoe]

I'm still waiting for my CC permit so I have no experience carrying. However, given that the number of tragic accidental shootings seem to far out number the number of times one actually defeats a mortal threat with pistol, I've already decided to never carry with a round in the chamber. I'm willing to take the chance of dying because I couldn't respond quickly enough, rather than risk a tragic accident that I could regret for the rest of my life (of course that is assuming my death is not the tragedy.) I keep a loaded magazine (secured and locked with the pistol) near by, but it is not going in the pistol in my home unless I am dealing with a threat.

Bottom line is I want a firearm available, on short notice, for home defense or carry - but not instantaneously available at the risk of a tragedy.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[4011]

Bless their hearts. What a terrible thing to happen. I'll have a brief talk with my daughter. Things can happen to the bestof us. Years ago a DPS trooper during a qualifying session had an accident with a revolver.