In Hardeman County, Tennessee, Jonterrious Hampton was arrested and charged with reckless homicide after a gun accident in which a 7-year old boy was killed. After the incident, Hampton took the boy to a local hospital where the boy was pronounced dead.

According to  Hampton, he was visiting the boy’s siblings at their home.  During the visit, he was attempting to disassemble a pistol without first clearing the chamber. The 7-year old was killed when the pistol fired. 

Although the report does not state, it seems unlikely that the pistol had common safety features like a prominent loaded chamber indicator, a magazine safety disconnect, or an external manual safety.  Many pistols, including Glocks, do not have these simple safety devices. As described in another post, Hampton’s criminal prosecution may serve to protect a gun-maker that omitted necessary safety features in the gun design process from legal liability that might otherwise be associated with defective designs.

Source:

“7-year-old Shot, Killed During Reckless Homicide in Hardeman Co., Tenn.” WMC5 (February 24, 2021).