A four-year old North Charleston, South Carolina boy died in a gun accident today.  He apparently found a loaded gun and accidentally shot himself, though few details are available.  No arrests have been made, but the police continue to investigate. 

 According to the report, “South Carolina doesn’t punish firearm owners for leaving their weapons out, though guardians can be charged with neglect if a child has access to a loaded gun and uses it to hurt themselves.  To earn a concealed weapons permit, Palmetto State residents must show proof that they’ve been trained on how to store firearms properly, with minimal risk of accidentally hurting a child.”

It is unclear why the law doesn’t mandate that guns be stored unloaded and locked when not being used.  Under the law as described, a parent or caregiver can only be found responsible for neglect after their child is killed or injured.  The law thus serves no role in protecting a vulnerable child. Nor does the law require safety features such as external manual safeties and heavier trigger pulls that might prevent a toddler from accidentally firing a gun.

Source:

Sara Coello, “4-year-old Accidentally Shot Himself at North Charleston Apartment, Police Say,” The Post and Courier (November 14, 2020).