BBC Wednesday, 15 August, 2001, 11:42 GMT 12:42 UK US toddler shoots grandfather dead The case is likely to re-ignite the gun law controversy

A two-year-old boy in the US state of Ohio has shot and killed his grandfather, authorities have said.

The toddler was playing with a loaded .45 calibre gun, belonging to his grandfather, Thomas Hopps, at his home when the accident occurred.

The child had found the gun and was playing with it behind Mr Hopps' chair, Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson said.

The gun fired and the bullet went through the chair and fatally struck Mr Hopps in the back.

Mr Hopps, aged 55, died some hours later in hospital.

Mother present

The child's mother was in the room at the time of the shooting, but according to Mr Swanson, neither she nor Mr Hopps could see the boy behind the chair and was unaware as to what he was doing.

"There was a magazine rack beside a chair, or it could have been on a table," Mr Swanson said. "We don't know how he managed to fire it."

The grandfather lived with both the boy and his mother in Plain Township, Ohio.

Pressure for ban

There are an estimated 200 million privately held guns in the USA.

But gun ownership has come under increased pressure in recent years, following a spate of school massacres and shootings carried out by chidren.

Many are pushing for a ban on private ownership of guns or at the very least the intoduction of smart guns - weapons that use technology to ensure that only one person can fire them.

But the gun lobby in the US is immensely powerful - the National Rifle Association argues that the right to bear arms is enshrined in the American constitution and should not be withdrawn.

The group advocates gun safety, education and self-defence.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

Answers

"We don't know how he managed to fire it."

So we don't know how the gun works? Ask the kid to show you, idiot!

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

The law in Massachusetts is that between uses the gun must be unloaded AND locked away, either in a locked case or with a trigger lock. (Kinda means it isn't much in the way of a personal protection device.)

I can't sympathize with folks who allow kids access to loaded guns. They're lucky the kid isn't dead or wounded. Prolly grandad figured since he was living alone (hypothetical) he didn't need to worry about it. But there is always the unexpected occasion.

Something that is being considered here is a requirement for a heavy trigger that isn't likely to be activated by a youngster. I'm sure that would destroy any resemblance of accuracy I may have.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2001

I agree, Brooks, so many people seem to have used up all the sense they were born with. I mean, we're automatically and regularly putting away things the cats can get in trouble with, like rubber bands, tiny bells on cat toys (we always cut 'em off and chuck 'em away--choking hazard), and stringy things they can strangle themselves with. If people aren't smart enough to put away a gun when there's a child around, I don't see how they would be smart enough to use a special lock, mandated by law or not.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2001

Guns should not be sold to criminals or stupid people. I think Reno wants to take the guns away from the stupid people, which is why she is suggesting a requirement that gun owners demonstrate that they know how to handle a gun. If they are too stupid to do it right, then she will take it away.

Looked at in that light, she may have a good idea. [shudder!!!!]

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2001