Four-year-old accidentally shoots self at grocery store
June 10, 2008
Rick Brundrett - McClatchy NewspapersIssue date: 6/5/08 Section: Real News
Herself a grandmother of 13, Homewood can't understand it.
"They say it was an accident, but it was an accident waiting to happen," she said.
Peter Hamm, spokesman for the nonprofit Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said Monday's incident is "unfortunately . . . all too common" nationwide.
"The best way to make sure that kids don't get injured with a firearm is not to have a firearm around," he said. "If you're going to have a gun around a kid, you should have a trigger lock on it so you can't operate the thing."
According to a just-released report from the nonprofit Children's Defense Fund, 3,006 children and teens died in 2005 in the U.S. from firearms _ a 6 percent increase from 2004 _ after more than a decade of decline.
The study was based on the most recently available data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The National Rifle Association, which advocates the rights of gun owners, did not respond to a request for information for this story.
Store officials referred questions about the incident to police.
"Everyone at Sam's Club is deeply saddened by today's tragedy," Tara Stewart, company spokeswoman for South Carolina, said in a prepared statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the little girl and her family."
There was no sign at the Sam's Club telling customers they could not bring a gun into the store. Corporate officials did not respond to questions about whether store policy bans customers from carrying firearms in their stores.
People in South Carolina who have concealed weapons permits can't legally take a gun into government buildings, schools or day care facilities _ or into private businesses that forbid them.
The Sam's Club was closed immediately after the incident but reopened later. The shooting occurred at about 10:50 a.m. near the pharmacy section toward the front of the store, Dodson said.
The girl is seen on a store security video reaching into her grandmother's purse, which was next to her in the shopping cart, as Williamson was pushing the cart down an aisle, Dodson said. She then turned onto another aisle and was about half-way down it when the shooting occurred.
"It was fairly obvious the grandmother didn't know the child was handling the firearm," Dodson said, adding, "You certainly don't let a child have access to the purse in the first place."
The shot from the .22- or .25-caliber handgun went completely through the girl's chest, Dodson said. Williamson is seen on the video holding her hands over her ears after the gun was fired, then grabbing her granddaughter, who slumped over in the cart.
About a dozen people are seen on the tape standing nearby when the shooting occurred, though no one else was hit, Dodson said.
Homewood was "so impressed with how the Sam's Club people jumped right to it" and came to the aid of the girl.
Still, Homewood, who shops regularly at the store, said the incident has unsettled her.
"I'm going to be paranoid about people walking around with guns in their purses."
"They say it was an accident, but it was an accident waiting to happen," she said.
Peter Hamm, spokesman for the nonprofit Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said Monday's incident is "unfortunately . . . all too common" nationwide.
"The best way to make sure that kids don't get injured with a firearm is not to have a firearm around," he said. "If you're going to have a gun around a kid, you should have a trigger lock on it so you can't operate the thing."
According to a just-released report from the nonprofit Children's Defense Fund, 3,006 children and teens died in 2005 in the U.S. from firearms _ a 6 percent increase from 2004 _ after more than a decade of decline.
The study was based on the most recently available data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The National Rifle Association, which advocates the rights of gun owners, did not respond to a request for information for this story.
Store officials referred questions about the incident to police.
"Everyone at Sam's Club is deeply saddened by today's tragedy," Tara Stewart, company spokeswoman for South Carolina, said in a prepared statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the little girl and her family."
There was no sign at the Sam's Club telling customers they could not bring a gun into the store. Corporate officials did not respond to questions about whether store policy bans customers from carrying firearms in their stores.
People in South Carolina who have concealed weapons permits can't legally take a gun into government buildings, schools or day care facilities _ or into private businesses that forbid them.
The Sam's Club was closed immediately after the incident but reopened later. The shooting occurred at about 10:50 a.m. near the pharmacy section toward the front of the store, Dodson said.
The girl is seen on a store security video reaching into her grandmother's purse, which was next to her in the shopping cart, as Williamson was pushing the cart down an aisle, Dodson said. She then turned onto another aisle and was about half-way down it when the shooting occurred.
"It was fairly obvious the grandmother didn't know the child was handling the firearm," Dodson said, adding, "You certainly don't let a child have access to the purse in the first place."
The shot from the .22- or .25-caliber handgun went completely through the girl's chest, Dodson said. Williamson is seen on the video holding her hands over her ears after the gun was fired, then grabbing her granddaughter, who slumped over in the cart.
About a dozen people are seen on the tape standing nearby when the shooting occurred, though no one else was hit, Dodson said.
Homewood was "so impressed with how the Sam's Club people jumped right to it" and came to the aid of the girl.
Still, Homewood, who shops regularly at the store, said the incident has unsettled her.
"I'm going to be paranoid about people walking around with guns in their purses."
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