Wally World

[Kevin3824]

I was in wally world tonight waiting in line to buy ammunition when all of a sudden a young kid walks to the front of the line and interrupts the salesman filing out a hunting license for a customer asking how much their cheapest .22 rifle is. The salesman replied 107 dollars. The kid says his mom works in the pharmacy and he would be right back. A few minutes later he comes back with mom again cutting in front of others like myself in line the first chance he got. He asked to see he rifle. The salesman opens the case and hands him the rifle.

Keep in mind this kid looks like he is maybe 14 years old. He started telling me about how he was going to use this rifle for home defense. I informed him that it was not a very wise choice for that purpose and a shotgun would be more effective. He said he did not want a shotgun because previously he fired one and landed on his arse. He then went on to tell his mother who seemed pretty uneducated on guns in general that this was an automatic rifle and how he would just keep shooting anyone who broke into their house till the clip was empty but did not want to kill them only stop them. I simply corrected him that it was a semi automatic.

I asked the boy if he realized that if he was to shoot a person even in his home he would more likely then not be arrested and have to pay legal costs to stay out of prison. He then told me he was told by a Scranton Police officer that if a person breaks into his house and threatens his life he could legally shoot them.

The boy did ask the clerk how much the smallest quantity of ammo they sold for the gun was and wanted two boxes of that as well.

The entire time this was going on I could not help but to stop and think that this clerk is about to sell a gun and ammo to a child and run the pics on mom. Once they leave the store the gun will be in the child's control as mom is clueless on its operation. I did suggest that she may want to pick up a free cable lock from the sheriff's office to be able to control child access to the gun.

If I was the salesman I would have only let the adult handle the gun and only sold to the adult. I would make sure that they understood if the child uses it in an illegal fashion that the gun is owned by the adult so therefore they are responsible for what happens with it as well. This entire incident screamed out to me like it was a straw purchase setup as the child was the one calling the shots.

At that point I looked at the mom and told her to go online and check out the pa firearms owners website as well as the website for the state attorney general office as there she will find some sound advice on the law.

I will go in there again soon as I know where the mom works and talk to her about it hopefully she will see the value of teaching another person about the responsibility of gun ownership. I did not really have a decent conversation with her as the son was all knowing when it came to guns.

I think maybe I will offer to take them both to the range someday soon as the only range the boy mentioned knowing about was the one in Gouldsboro when I was asking for directions to an indoor range I had recently heard of but never tried before.

Gouldsboro SGL is currently closed for lead removal which the signage says will take about 30 days. I did not know at the time it was closed for lead removal but found out a little while later.

The boy mentioned it It seems to me that if the boys dad was around he would not have hounded mom like he did. I think mom and the boy would both benefit from some safe range time.

The entire time I was CCW my S&W 649 .357 Magnum and had both a Glock 34 9mm and a .22 Ruger Mark 1 in the car as well. When the sales clerk asked me how they could help me I just picked up two boxes of 100 round 9mm Luger FMJ and 1-100 round box of 357 magnum SJHP and spent almost as much as his rifle without the kid even thinking about what I was buying there.

Anyhow, I thought I would share this experience with you all. If it does go further I will also keep you informed. It would also not surprise me if mom does not sign up here as well and start participating in this forum as we all know the two websites are so closely related.

[Guns4Fun]

I don’t know that it was really that big a deal, other than he was rude. Nor would I consider it a straw purchase. Parents can gift guns to their kids. I know when I bought my son his first .22 and shotgun that he came with me to try them out for size. I think everyone in the store knew full well that the gun was for him. Now, those guns are kept in my safe and my son can not access them without me. It does seem a little odd that he is boasting of shooting intruders---but, we don’t know the situation. Maybe the kid was just trying to sound cool.

I’m sending you some rep for your decision to take them shooting---that is a great idea!!! Good job. It sure can’t hurt giving the kid and mom the proper safe handling fundamentals. Again, good for you!!

[PennsyPlinker]

There will be trouble coming, and it isn't just the rifle. He was rude to other customers, and his mother did nothing about that. If the whole interaction between mother and child is as you describe, I think that he runs the home to a large degree, and she is one of those parents who gives in to keep him quiet. I know, that is a lot to draw out of a single incident, but I have seen enough of it to know I am probably right. It may not be too long before we are all reading about him shooting someone.

[gnbrotz]

There will be trouble coming, and it isn't just the rifle. He was rude to other customers, and his mother did nothing about that. If the whole interaction between mother and child is as you describe, I think that he runs the home to a large degree, and she is one of those parents who gives in to keep him quiet. I know, that is a lot to draw out of a single incident, but I have seen enough of it to know I am probably right. It may not be too long before we are all reading about him shooting someone.

Something like this, maybe?

[Emptymag]

Kevin,
Your offer to give them some guidance is impressive.

Perhaps the "kid who probably shouldn't have a firearm" will learn enough that he isn't a danger to himself and others. Perhaps not.
Without teaching him anything though, he isn't likely to learn to be a responsible firearm owner.

[shefearsnothing]

Rep sent. Kudos to you for saying you'll offer to take them to the range. Hopefully you'll be able to get through to the kid's mom.

[Kevin3824]

Nor would I consider it a straw purchase. Parents can gift guns to their kids. ...Now, those guns are kept in my safe and my son can not access them without me. It does seem a little odd that he is boasting of shooting intruders---but, we don’t know the situation. Maybe the kid was just trying to sound cool.

I’m sending you some rep for your decision to take them shooting---that is a great idea!!! Good job. It sure can’t hurt giving the kid and mom the proper safe handling fundamentals. Again, good for you!!

Thanks for the rep but I was under the impression that the gifting process between two people such as family only applied when the receiving party was in fact legally allowed to own the weapon and not otherwise restricted from owning a firearm or ammunition. In this case the child does not meet the age requirements to own the weapon.

I guess it is just my technical mind at work here. Also, you clearly indicated that even though you bought the weapons for your child you are in complete control of them and the child cannot access them at any time without you being there. Therefore you own the weapons until the child legally can accept the gift transfer.

Otherwise, a family member could gift a weapon to another family member on the day they were released from prison after serving their felony sentence.

[King 5.45]

Something like this, maybe?

I was thinking more along the lines of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kip_Kinkel

He hasn't aged very well.

[GunLawyer001]

Why am I reminded of this story:


Mom charged with buying Pa. teen weapons
October 12, 2007

The mother of a 14-year-old who authorities say had a cache of guns, knives and explosive devices in his bedroom for a possible school attack was charged Friday with buying her son three weapons.

Michele Cossey, 46, bought her home-schooled son, Dillon, a .22-caliber handgun, a .22-caliber rifle and a 9 mm semiautomatic rifle, authorities said.

The teenager felt bullied and tried to recruit another boy for a possible attack at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, authorities said. His mother was not accused of helping plot an attack, "but by virtue of her indulgence, she enabled him to get in this position," Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. said.

"This is not the best parenting I've ever seen and she needs to be held accountable," Castor said.

Acting on a tip from a high school student and his father, police on Wednesday found the rifle, about 30 air-powered guns, swords, knives, a bomb-making book, videos of the 1999 Columbine attack in Colorado and violence-filled notebooks in the boy's bedroom, Castor said.

The mother bought the rifle, which had a laser scope, at a gun show on Sept. 23 and provided police with a receipt, investigators said in court papers. The teenager said the two .22-caliber weapons were stored at a friend's house.

She was charged with unlawful transfer of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a minor, corruption of a minor, endangering the welfare of a child and two counts of reckless endangerment, and later released on bail. She did not comment at the hearing.

[Scud]

Yes - I am all for gun ownership, but after some of the things that I have seen, I no longer feel that gun ownership is for everyone within the United States. I am concerned that many bad apples will ruin it for the good apples.
This thread is a good example.