Leighton Owings.Photo: gofundme
Police saya 2-year-old Indiana boy found a loaded handgun Tuesday as his mother was in another room feeding an infant.
“Storing guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunitionkeeps guns out of kids’ hands and can save lives,” the groups report.
Owings “was smart, funny and fun to be around,” according to a GoFundMe post seeking donations to help the family plan his funeral. “He loves his family and loved life.”
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Preliminary evidence indicates Leighton pulled the trigger on a 9-millimeter Ruger while his 22-year-old mother, Caci Seals, tended to her infant in a front room of the family’s North Main Street residence in Fairmount, say the state police. They are continuing to investigate the death.
According to Moms Demand Action, in early December, “an11-year-old boy shot and killed himselfwhile online learning at home in Woodbridge, California. A week earlier, a 12-year-old boy in Henderson, North Carolinashot and wounded a classmateof the same age at Henderson Middle School. These heartbreaking shootings are a reminder of the consequences when children get a hold of unsecured guns.”
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“As children and teens continue to stay home from school because of the pandemic and holiday breaks allow for more free time, isolation and boredom, the importance of storing guns securely cannot be understated,” the organization adds.
“Assume children and teens can find guns,” the program advises. “Store firearms locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition.”
source: people.com
