

Accidental gun deaths involving children rocket in the US

Accidental gun deaths involving children rocket in the US
Euronews logo
Text size Aa Aa

Firearms in the United States are everywhere.

The ubiquity results in the accidental shooting of a child every other day in the US.

Four-year-old Bryson Mees-Hernández was sleeping at his grandparents house when he found a gun under the couples bed, he shot himself in the head.

His mother answered the phone in the early hours.

She was dumbfounded by what she heard:“Ma’am, your son’s been shot.’ I didn’t believe him. I didn’t.
He was in a safe spot. He was at his grandparents. How did he get shot?’‘

Four-year-old Cameron Price was shot in a motel in Louisiana by his six-year-old brother, who told police he had “pushed the bad button and his brother had a hole in his head.”

According to research carried out by the Associated Press and USA Today 326 people were killed in gun accidents involving children between January 2014 and June 2016.

The numbers are far higher than those presented by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in charge of federal statistics.

In 2014 the CDC attributed 74 deaths as a result of accidental shootings involving children, while AP/USA Today put the figures at 113.

Responding to the Sandy Hook primary school shooting, where 20 children and six adults were killed a visibly moved US President Barack Obama revealed new executive restrictions, without Congress approval, to improve background checks on potential gun buyers.

“Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad,” said a tearful president.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is well aware of the power of the NRA and their attitude:“Now we know the gun lobby is powerful; I believe it’s the most powerful lobby in Washington. And we know that some candidates will say or do anything to keep them happy,” she barbed.

The gun lobby believes that divine authorisation is behind gun ownership.

Wayne Lapierre is the executive vice-president of NRA:“If you want to come after the NRA and if you want a fight over the God given rights of Americia’s 100 million gun owners, bring it on.”