Gun Storage

[rickypaul]

First some background. I am an owner of two handguns and 1 shotgun. I keep one handgun in my bedside table and the other downstairs in my man cave. I keep my guns loaded and unlocked so that they are actually useful for self defense. My father was a police officer who always kept his guns unlocked and loaded. He took my siblings and me to the range, taught us gun safety, and instilled respect in firearms. I have done the same with my children. I also keep them unlocked at home so my daughter knows where it is to defend herself if, God forbid, she needs to.

So here's my problem. My daughter (18yo) decided to throw a party while we were away. A text and social media tornado ensued and a whole bunch of strange kids descended upon my house. I came home to my TV smashed, multiple items stolen, and my prized C.F. Martin Guitar smashed to bits. There was a video of a kid smashing the guitar on his head. My daughter has lost all liberty for the foreseeable future. The kid came over to my house and took responsibility for the guitar.

I made an insurance claim which is now resolved. I contacted the kid's parents and informed them they they had to pay the share of my $1,000 deductible attributable to the guitar or I would be filing a private criminal complaint. It was 60% of my claim so I am expecting him to pay $600 toward my deductible. I believed that this was more than fair. Right after it happened their son took full responsibility for destroying the guitar. Now, after a couple of weeks and the damages real, the mother said that the guitar was already partially broken in the video when he smashed the guitar over his head and asked if I got any of the other kids who were reponsible and that her son should not be responsible for the whole amount. I told her that the other kids weren't my problem and that I am expecting full payment from her son and that if she wanted got pursue getting portions of it from the other kids, that was on her. Now the gun part.

She then became nasty and said that there are "other videos" that show the kids "playing with guns." I told her that was because these kids trespassed in my house and that its not illegal to have guns. She responded "But they're KIDS!!!"

My question, regardless of anything else that went on, am I in any danger of breaking a law because my guns were not locked up? I looked through the PA Uniform Firearms Act online and searched the forum and didn't find anything. Is there a PA Law requiring guns be locked and unloaded? If I file a criminal complaint I am expecting this to be thrown back in my face.

[gnbrotz]

am I in any danger of breaking a law because my guns were not locked up?

Probably not.

Is there a PA Law requiring guns be locked and unloaded?

No.

If I file a criminal complaint I am expecting this to be thrown back in my face.

Good instinct. Legal or not, it will be used to try and paint you as irresponsible and paranoid.

All past history aside, based on this event, and so long as the daughter has access to enter the house, I would not leave any firearms unsecured when you are away. Frankly, I think you're lucky none of them disappeared.

[JDA58]

. Frankly, I think you're lucky no one got shot

fixed it for you

[buxbandit]

It's incredibly irresponsible to leave unlocked firearms where kids can get at them. The daughter proved that she's irresponsible, and as another poster said your damn lucky no one got shot. Damn lucky.
And in todays political climate, you'll be damn lucky if you don't get sued into the poorhouse and have your firearms confiscated. It wouldn't be legal, but that never stopped the righteous snowflake culture before.
Teenagers are inherently irresponsible, which is why the dhimmirats want to lower the voting age.

[GunLawyer001]

If someone had been shot, I'd expect someone to allege criminal negligence. In the absence of that, I don't see any successful pushback as likely, when prosecuting a kid for smashing a guitar in a house where some legal guns are possessed.

They may try (probably will try), but it's just not relevant to the guitar getting busted. No causation.

Of course, if it's in Philly, there's no telling what the po-po will do or say.

[Carnes]

It's incredibly irresponsible to leave unlocked firearms where kids can get at them. The daughter proved that she's irresponsible, and as another poster said your damn lucky no one got shot. Damn lucky.
And in todays political climate, you'll be damn lucky if you don't get sued into the poorhouse and have your firearms confiscated. It wouldn't be legal, but that never stopped the righteous snowflake culture before.
Teenagers are inherently irresponsible, which is why the dhimmirats want to lower the voting age.

People that say things like this are the problem. The irresponsible person was the 18yo adult that made extremely bad decisions.

[gnbrotz]

People that say things like this are the problem. The irresponsible person was the 18yo adult that made extremely bad decisions.

I agree. For the most part, I've had firearms loaded and accessible around my home ever since my kids were old enough to be taught and handle firearms safely themselves. That said, there have been temporary periods, prompted by the current attitudes and behaviors of those kids, that caused me to keep things secure for a time here and there.

I don't think it's proper to mandate that all guns and ammo be locked up all the time, even in homes where children are present.

I do think it's "responsible" for folks to keep their finger on the pulse of the household, and alter their practices when something feels off, or actions clearly indicate things aren't as they were thought to be.

[normanvin]

So how much did your daughter need pony up?

[buxbandit]

People that say things like this are the problem. The irresponsible person was the 18yo adult that made extremely bad decisions.

Raising a kid in these times of social media must be incredibly difficult. So if I understand you, you're ok with going away and leaving loaded guns unlocked and accessible to a teenager? My daughter is 42, and when we went away back in the day even the booze was locked up. Not that we didn't trust her, we were just being responsible parents. What the OP did was irresponsible at best, and potentially criminal at worst.

[RockIsland]

Frankly, I think you're lucky none of them disappeared.

The suspense was killing me.

Thread did not deliver.