Gun tragedy might have been averted

Sa’vion Barrow, age 3, might be alive today if the gun with which he fatally shot himself had been properly secured.

An accident such as this is tragic under any circumstances. But it is made more heart-breaking by the fact that it was preventable.

Details are sketchy at this point, but somehow on Sunday the toddler got his hands on a gun in a bedroom at his Rock Hill home and shot himself. He was taken by ambulance from his home to Piedmont Medical Center but was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

Rock Hill detectives investigating the incident have not released information about what type of gun was involved or who owned it. But they said at least one other child, a 10-year-old girl, and at least four adults were home at the time of the shooting.

Even without knowing the particulars of this tragedy, it is easy to come up with ways in which it could have been prevented. First and foremost, the gun could have been unloaded, with ammunation kept in a different place.

A simple lock would have made the gun impossible for Sa’vion to fire. And the Rock Hill police will provide gun owners with a free lock if they ask for one.

Better still, the gun could have been stored in in a safe designed for that purpose. The better safes are electronic and have programmable locks so children can’t open them with a key.

But, as experts note, you can’t hide a gun from children. They will find it.

Unfortunately, not enough adults are safely storing their firearms. Just last month, a 2-year-old boy, sitting in the back of a car driven by his great-aunt, found a loaded .357 revolver in the pouch on the back of the seat in front of him. Picking up the gun, he accidentally pulled the trigger, and the bullet hit his grandmother in the back as she sat in the front passenger seat.

Fortunately, she survived. But the great-aunt has been charged with the unlawful carrying of a gun and could face jail time.

The Washington Post reports that there have been at least 43 cases nationwide this year in which someone was shot by a child age 3 or younger. That undoubtedly underestimates the number of times such accidents occur, with many going unreported.

And it certainly falls well short of reflecting the number of times young children discharge weapons with no one getting hit. It also doesn’t reflect the tens of thousands of times children find and handle guns in the home but don’t fire them.

Gun owners have to take responsibility for their firearms, especially when children might gain access to them. Beyond that, however, a society that cares about the welfare of its children needs to find better ways to induce gun owners to act responsibly.

That might entail some changes in the law. But better public education and incentives to lock up guns could be a more effective approach.

Every gun sold should come with a trigger lock. Shooting ranges and any event where recreational shooting occurs should offer gun locks and tips on safely storing guns.

Perhaps schools should include gun safety as part of health classes, beginning at an early age. Civic organizations could sponsor events to teach children gun safety.

Ultimately, of course, gun owners themselves have to store their guns safely and be held accountable if their guns fall into the hands of children. But communities can play a role in stressing gun safety and encouraging gun owners to act responsibly.

We know the family of Sa’vion Barrow is in mourning, and no one wants to heighten their pain. But they now must live with the knowledge that with a litte more attention to security, this tragedy might have been averted.

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Gun tragedy might have been averted."