Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Man, this is really sad.... I don't know what I'd do if I did something like this.

Remember folks, don't point a gun at anything you don't plan on shooting!! At home, I do not allow my kids to be in the same room as me if I am doing something to one of my guns. Of course they are only 2 and 6 years old.... but still.

N.C. man unloading gun kills 11-year-old daughter

BEAUFORT, N.C. -- Authorities say an 11-year-old girl visiting her father in North Carolina was killed when the 20-gauge shotgun he was unloading went off.

The Carteret County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that 35-year-old Michael Lee Wynne II of Beaufort called 911 for help late Monday afternoon, but authorities say the girl was pronounced dead at the scene when emergency personnel arrived. Officials say Wynne's 12-year-old sister was also in the room at the time of the accident.

Both girls had arrived the day before from Arkansas to spend the summer with their father.

The sheriff's office is investigating the incident, which will also be reviewed by the district attorney's office. No charges have been filed so far.

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article ... d-daughter

To me as a parent, that would have to be the worst imaginable thing I could think of.

Terrible indeed, especially for the parent.

I'm gonna guess he'll be losing his visitation rights.

LFS wrote:Terrible indeed, especially for the parent.

I'm gonna guess he'll be losing his visitation rights.

I would think that would be the least of it, jail time even for a accident IMO would be in order. you can't point a gun at your daughter, you can't allow the muzzle to point towards her while your loading or unloading, and to top it off your finger should never be on the trigger unless you plan on shooting

At worst, involuntary manslaughter.

At best, criminal negligence.

However, his penance will be best served in the emotional suffering he will endure for the rest of his natural life.

jaywade wrote:

LFS wrote:Terrible indeed, especially for the parent.

I'm gonna guess he'll be losing his visitation rights.

I would think that would be the least of it, jail time even for a accident IMO would be in order. you can't point a gun at your daughter, you can't allow the muzzle to point towards her while your loading or unloading, and to top it off your finger should never be on the trigger unless you plan on shooting

I don't know about that jail time thing. Parents do stupid things. They run over children in their driveway...even children that are in car seats. They maim and kill children with lawn mowers. They leave buckets of water around that toddlers drown in. The list goes on. Do they all go to jail? Most folks do suffer from a lack of good judgement at some point in their life...and sometimes it bites them on the ass.

I don't know about that jail time thing. Parents do stupid things. They run over children in their driveway...even children that are in car seats. They maim and kill children with lawn mowers. They leave buckets of water around that toddlers drown in. The list goes on. Do they all go to jail? Most folks do suffer from a lack of good judgement at some point in their life...and sometimes it bites them on the ass.[/quote]

yeah, but depending on the judge they may classify this as a 'gun crime' and throw the book at him.

WRW wrote:

jaywade wrote:

LFS wrote:Terrible indeed, especially for the parent.

I'm gonna guess he'll be losing his visitation rights.

I would think that would be the least of it, jail time even for a accident IMO would be in order. you can't point a gun at your daughter, you can't allow the muzzle to point towards her while your loading or unloading, and to top it off your finger should never be on the trigger unless you plan on shooting

I don't know about that jail time thing. Parents do stupid things. They run over children in their driveway...even children that are in car seats. They maim and kill children with lawn mowers. They leave buckets of water around that toddlers drown in. The list goes on. Do they all go to jail? Most folks do suffer from a lack of good judgement at some point in their life...and sometimes it bites them on the ass.

+1

We all make mistakes, but sometimes the consequences are extreme. IMHO, they would have to show wilful negligence on the fathers part to justify jail time. Without more details, there are too many possible ways this could have been a true accident with no negligence on the fathers part. Case in point. How many hunters shoot themselves every year when they fall asleep in a tree stand and drop their gun? It happens. There are ways to avoid it, but is shooting yourself while in a tree stand wilful negligence? I don't think so. It is just the inherent risk to all kinds of activities.

Pump shotguns are particularly bad because the percussion bolts in them have been known to fire if subjected to a jolt; even with the safety on. As a rule of thumb, I don't use shotgun safeties at all. If I want a loaded, but "safe" shotgun, I don't chamber anything and just load the tube. It requires that I pump the shotgun before it can be used, but that isn't such a bad thing...it makes that universal noise.

Just my two cents.

I'm wondering about the emotional state of the 12 year old who was there when it happened. Luckily she colaborated her dad's story. Also wondering what the estranged mother is thinking.

You know when I was younger I was sometimes irritated when my friend's dad always repeated "safety first, watch where you are pointing that". That broken record that constantly repeated itself was well worth it. Actually now I find myself doing the same.

11-year-old girl visiting her father in North Carolina


say Wynne's 12-year-old sister was also in the room at the time of the accident.


Both girls had arrived the day before from Arkansas to spend the summer with their father


this doesn't make sense to me.

terribly sad , yes. Also could be a domestic type of retaliation against his estranged spouse(girls mother)..? flags and bells going off in my mind over this story. Sgt Bill? how about you?

GS78 wrote:terribly sad , yes. Also could be a domestic type of retaliation against his estranged spouse(girls mother)..? flags and bells going off in my mind over this story. Sgt Bill? how about you?

I can see where you're coming from, but I would hate to make any such assumption without knowing specific details or having specific evidence that points to "retaliation".

I can't imagine anything like this happening to me and my children. I actually pulled them all together this evening to tell them about it and use it as a chance to explain to them the inherent dangers of firearms and that they are not ever to be touched or handled in any way unless I specifically tell them to do so - as well as reiterating the rule that the muzzle should never be pointed in the direction of anyone or anything that you do not intend to shoot.

This is a most unfortunate story, no matter the circumstances - an 11 year old girl lost her life.

stupid people do learn from thier mistakes,
smart people learn from thier mistakes,
REALLY REALLY SMART people learn from OTHER peoples mistakes,...

A god awful situation no matter what,...Truley I also feel for the 12 year old...
a one second mistake, and a good chunck of your world, as you know it...
undone...

Let us hope this scares the begeezuz out of us enough to make us take the time to do it right the first time, every time...