man cleaning a handgun in York shot his 3-year-old

[justashooter]

http://www.wgal.com/news/22528752/detail.html

YORK, Pa. -- A man cleaning a handgun in York accidentally shot his 3-year-old son in the back, according to police.

It happened Wednesday afternoon in the family's home on the 500 block of Jessop Place.

Police say the wound was not life threatening.

Police also said the father, Reinaldo Vargas-Santana, is not expected to be charged.

[General Geoff]

I've never seen a (non-muzzle loading) gun that can be effectively cleaned while in-battery, much less with a round in the chamber.

Cleaning seems to mean "dicking around with," these days.

[ReconLdr]

I've never seen a (non-muzzle loading) gun that can be effectively cleaned while in-battery, much less with a round in the chamber.

Cleaning seems to mean "dicking around with," these days.

^^^Beat me to it^^^

I don't know why people don't clear their weapons prior to "dicking around" with them.

[556slinger]

How do you clean a loaded gun? I never figured it out.

The round in the chamber seems to block the cleaning rod, what should I do?

fuck it, I'll just discharge it into my child.

what a douche

[NRA Trucker]

I got nothin'.

How can you be so stupid?!

[Wiley-X]

"Cleaning accidents" have been the standard "stupid mistake" for decades. It's easy and difficult to disprove. "Why were you handling the gun?" "I was getting ready to clean it."

It could have been the standard semi-auto mistake: rack the slide, drop the mag, boom!

Ask any large police department how often that happened after they switched to semi-autos.

[StraussiE WousiE]

Deyamn. Non-life threatening shot to the back of a child? Lucky kid. Stupid dad.

[customloaded]

"Cleaning accidents" have been the standard "stupid mistake" for decades. It's easy and difficult to disprove. "Why were you handling the gun?" "I was getting ready to clean it."

It could have been the standard semi-auto mistake: rack the slide, drop the mag, boom!

Ask any large police department how often that happened after they switched to semi-autos.

A little off the topic but do you have any idea how many POLICE OFFICERS blew the hell out of roofs and lightbars back when they mounted shotguns on the passenger side of Patrol Cars with the barrel pointed up?

Officers used the shotguns as ashtrays, trash receptical for paper and plastic wrappers, chicken bones, used condoms, and who knows what all else. Especially with hot seat cars, someone would put a live round the chamber and forget that and some other poor fellow would come along and "accidently" touch the trigger and blam, "hole in the roof" (to the tune of Pants falling down) lightbar shot all to hell...etc...LOL

Yeah, got to love it...

As far as this Negligent Discharge and the round striking the child...one lucky man, on all fronts.

Everyone will have a NG, fact. Its just a matter of when and where.

[eXceLon]

I've never seen a (non-muzzle loading) gun that can be effectively cleaned while in-battery, much less with a round in the chamber.

Cleaning seems to mean "dicking around with," these days.

You're probably right, but there are also plenty of NDs when someone is legitimately preparing to clean their gun.

A common one seems to be forgetting to clear the gun and have to pull the trigger on a Glock or an XD prior to disassembly.

Another common one is to discharge the gun when attempting to clear it. If you're working the slide with your left hand, it's reflex to tighten your grip with the right hand. And if you were dumb enough to have your finger in the trigger guard, that reflexive tightening of the grip makes it highly likely you're going to pull the trigger.

[unloved]

Cleaning seems to mean "dicking around with," these days.

I think that's what it's always meant, at least in this context. "It just mysteriously went off while I was cleaning it." seems to be an acceptable excuse for stunning negligence in the minds of many people.