GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A Hall County man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after his 21-month-old son found a loaded handgun in the home and accidentally shot himself to death.
Sheriff's Col. Jeff Strickland says the father, 33-year-old Raley A. Lane, was in the same room when the boy shot himself Saturday. Col. Strickland says the father took his son to a hospital but the child died after being flown to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
The Times of Gainesville reports that Col. Strickland says sheriff's officers arrested Mr. Lane and charged him with involuntary manslaughter, cruelty to children and reckless conduct. He was being held at the Hall County jail.
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These crimes are happening too often, but the individuals who gets charged is always different. The guy who took his kid to shooting range didn't get charged - they called it an accident. Of course each case is different, but some consistency is needed to ensure that these prosecutions are not being abused because the cruelty charge smacks of over-prosecution.
I know the father is sick to his stomach....A full investigation needs to be done before they charge the father, kids are into everything.
Hence the reason why you do NOT leave a loaded gun out where a child can get to it
Five Gun Safety Rules: 1) All guns are always loaded. 2) Don’t let the muzzle of the gun pass over anything you are not willing to destroy. 3) Keep your finger off the trigger and up along the frame of the gun until your sights are on the target and you are prepared to fire. 4) Be sure of your target and what lies beyond it. 5) Maintain control of your gun.
ok, did noone notice that the father was IN THE SAME ROOM as his baby and a loaded weapon??? hell if it was a plastic bag he should have interfered...this is getting way to ridiculous.
Five Gun Safety Rules only work if you can comprehend them. The rule with babies/children is to keep the gun away from them at all times--locked up, key hidden. Although I feel the gun should have been kept safely away from the child, this is no different than a child drowning in a pool or being injured/killed while riding a four wheeler. I agree with justus that there needs to be consistency in the charges. I also agree that cruelty to children and reckless conduct are a little much unless the AC is not giving us all of the details (like the father saw the child with the gun and did not take it away?). I'm sure the father will be harder on himself than any jury could ever be.
Hence the reason why you do NOT leave a loaded gun out where a child can get to it
Posted by storiesihaveread on Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:33 AM....AMEN!
My prayers are given for this family, I know they are grieveing.
Why have a gun anywhere a "toddler" can get to? The child had not concept of the danger. If you were afraid and needed the weapon to protect the child and/or yourself, there is far more risk to the child from your own gun, than anyone else's. Remove the child from the danger, send it to an relative's house. Do what is necessary to protect the child, but do not let it handle any weapon. Would you let the child handle a electric iron? Would let the child use a blowdryer? Would let the child play with posion? My apologies to the family, as I know you are greiving, and would change the situation if you could, but Man what was the father think? The father deserves to be charged. I am sure the full story is not reported here. He fell asleep or took some medication or something, surely he did not just watch this baby grab the gun, pull the trigger, and die. Hopefully God will give this family peace, I pray that the father as well will find peace, but I am sure he is a terrible mindset now.
The right to bear arms carries a responsibility. A shame that a family has to pay such a price.
The right to bear arms.... Sad consequences. NO GUNS should be accessible to children. Nuff said.
Children should not have access to guns period! Especially loaded ones!
The story of another redneck and his gun!
He was a dumb ---- why do you leave a loaded gun in reach where a small child can get to it? To bad it didn't go off in the direction of his dad!!!
The father left the gun sitting out on the nightstand.
What happened was an accident to lock the father up over this is wrong.
The story of another redneck and his gun!
Posted by gaspringwater on Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:14 PM
You are an IDIOT!
ustabe, the right to bear arms has nothing to do with it. You want citizens completely helpless against all these criminals. The thugs will still have guns, you don't think those lowlifes have kids for this to happen to? What do you really think stopping average citizens from having guns will do?
I agree terry67, you can add ustabe to that list too!
Of course he didn't plan for it to happen, but who would leave a gun sitting on a nightstand with a toddler running around?
Incredibly sad and unbelievably irresponsible. I have no problem with folks keeping firearms but leaving it where a toddler (or any child) can reach it is insane. Didn't that thing have any kind of safety on it? I know that's not the answer to the problem, but it may have bought the father a few seconds to get the gun away from the child before it went off. I can't imagine the level of guilt the father is feeling, but bottom line...it was his fault.
Come on Justus, why don't you just say that it is only blacks that get charged too often? You know you are wanting to.
Oh my gosh!! I have a 27 month old and cannot imagine what the family is going through! At the same time why in the world would any normal person have a gun near a baby. My husband wanted to get one due to crime, and I told him heck no!! He was in the same room, so he must have been allowing a child under the age of two to hold a loaded gun!! That poor baby :(........and to the dummies on here that have to bring race into every story, whether it be about a murder or a football game...GET A LIFE! People like you suck.
terry67 - Let me say again; another redneck and his gun and a redneck crowd excusing him!
This story reminded me to look around the house for kid traps, my grand kids will be dropping by for Thanksgiving ... A parents job is neverending and even a short lapse of attention can be life changing or life ending ... My prayers are given for this family
gargoyle - A good tip, especially with the holiday season approaching when many visitors traditionally stop by. You might try crawling around on your knees and see what you can reach up to or open up.
gaspring, no one is making excuses for this idiot, did you see some? Can you read? No you just wanted to make an ignorant comment instigating people. I never realized it until now, but You are as bad as everyone says you are. Terry was right!
Nice parenting. Ever cross your mind that maybe you should switch on the safety or de-chamber the round when your gun is in the same room as your toddler? Can't fix stupid.
So the child was able to pull the trigger? I'd think the standard double action would take more effort than a 21 month old could muster. A simi-automatic would have to be chambered. The 'father' was charged all of the right things.
It had to be loaded and unsecured, no gun is safe handled in that condition ...