Josephine Fanning is dead.

[phrodeau]

Shot by a 4-year-old boy who found her husband's gun during a family cookout.

Woman killed by 4-year-old in Tennessee cookout
By Joe Sutton and Matt Smith , CNN
updated 9:32 PM EDT, Mon April 8, 2013
CNN.com
(CNN) -- A pistol in the hands of a 4-year-old boy went off during a weekend cookout, killing the wife of a Tennessee sheriff's deputy who was showing his guns to a relative, state police said Monday.

No one saw the boy pick up the weapon before the shooting, which occurred Saturday night in Lebanon, east of Nashville, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Kristin Helm said. The single shot killed 47-year-old Josephine Fanning, the wife of Wilson County Sheriff's Deputy Daniel Fanning.

The couple were hosting family and friends at their house when Daniel Fanning and a relative went into a bedroom to check out some of Fanning's guns, Helm said. Josephine Fanning and the boy walked into the room later, and at some point the boy picked the loaded pistol up off the bed.

The gun involved was Fanning's personal weapon, not his service pistol, she said.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/08/us/tennessee-gun-death/

 

[LadyVer]

... A tragedy.

 

[marshalt]

Still alive

 

[phrodeau]

What a pity that there wasn't a well-armed militia in the bedroom to protect her.

 

[islandman]

What a pity that there wasn't a well-armed militia in the bedroom to protect her.

A mother is dead and her son will carry her death with him forever.

Have a little humanity, ffs.

 

[girlsmiley]

A mother is dead and her son will carry her death with him forever.

Have a little humanity, ffs.

I don't think the 4 y/o was her son. The Fanning's had family and friends over.

 

[phrodeau]

A four-year-old boy can't operate a lighter or open an aspirin bottle, but firing a gun is no problem.

 

[bronzeage]

I don't think the 4 y/o was her son. The Fanning's had family and friends over.

It was a hit.

 

[McKenna]

Irresponsible gun ownership at its finest. Why the hell wasn't the gun locked up? How's about a safety? Or, better yet, why was it even loaded if it wasn't locked up in the house of a four-year-old?! I blame the asshole father. Kid gets to carry the death with him, but good ol' pops owns the responsibility for said death.

 

[phrodeau]

Irresponsible gun ownership at its finest. Why the hell wasn't the gun locked up? How's about a safety? Or, better yet, why was it even loaded if it wasn't locked up in the house of a four-year-old?! I blame the asshole father. Kid gets to carry the death with him, but good ol' pops owns the responsibility for said death.

It was probably under a pillow.

 

[AllyRose]

Irresponsible gun ownership at its finest. Why the hell wasn't the gun locked up? How's about a safety? Or, better yet, why was it even loaded if it wasn't locked up in the house of a four-year-old?! I blame the asshole father. Kid gets to carry the death with him, but good ol' pops owns the responsibility for said death.

The gun wasn't locked up because he was showing it off.

You're right in that it should not have been loaded.

The kid wasn't the sheriff's son.

From what I read the gun was on the bed for just a few seconds when the kid walked in, grabbed it, and shot the sheriff's wife.

Definitely something that should have been avoided.

 

[evesdream]

A mother is dead and her son will carry her death with him forever.

Have a little humanity, ffs.

It isn't clear that he was her son. I'm going to guess it wasn't her child only because the deputy probably would have been more aware of where he leaves his guns if he was accustomed to having young children wander around the house. Then again, this sort of thing seems to happen more often than it should among self-proclaimed responsible gun owners, so?
Either way it's a kindness to leave the kid's name out of the news that's for sure.

 

[girlsmiley]

It was a hit.

It was? I don't know.

I don't think the Fanning's have children, is that right?

I'm only reading what's up there ^

I'm guessing the boy is either a relative or the child of a friend.

 

[phrodeau]

There's another one.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_...tally-shot-by-4-year-old-neighbor-police-say/

TOMS RIVER, N.J. - A 6-year-old New Jersey boy is in stable condition after he was accidentally shot in the head by his 4-year-old neighbor on Monday evening, police said.

Toms River Police Sgt. Robert Rankin said authorities are still investigating how the 4-year-old boy obtained the .22-caliber rifle from his family's home.

Authorities said the children were outside the younger child's home when the shooting happened around 7 p.m. Monday. It's not clear if the 4-year-old pulled the trigger or if the rifle accidentally discharged.

The parents of the 4-year-old were home at the time of the incident. The names of the boys have not been released.

 

[LiFeNdEaTh]

rest in peace.

 

[bronzeage]

Irresponsible gun ownership at its finest. Why the hell wasn't the gun locked up? How's about a safety? Or, better yet, why was it even loaded if it wasn't locked up in the house of a four-year-old?! I blame the asshole father. Kid gets to carry the death with him, but good ol' pops owns the responsibility for said death.

Irresponsibility and gun ownership go hand in hand. The mentality which dictates "I need a gun for my personal protection," also dictates the gun must be accessible. An unloaded gun in a secure cabinet is not accessible for personal protection. For it to serve as protection, the gun owner accepts the risk that the gun may be too accessible. Sometimes it is accessible to four year old boys.

The only remarkable thing about this incident is the boy shot someone else and not himself.

 

[McKenna]

The gun wasn't locked up because he was showing it off.

You're right in that it should not have been loaded.

The kid wasn't the sheriff's son.

From what I read the gun was on the bed for just a few seconds when the kid walked in, grabbed it, and shot the sheriff's wife.

Definitely something that should have been avoided.

Hard to tell. From the CNN article, I gathered the deputy had shown off the guns, but neglected to put them away properly after.

The couple were hosting family and friends at their house when Daniel Fanning and a relative went into a bedroom to check out some of Fanning's guns, Helm said. Josephine Fanning and the boy walked into the room later, and at some point the boy picked the loaded pistol up off the bed.

Christ, I can envision how it happened, I'm a mother of an inquisitive two-year-old who all too easily apes the behavior of the adults around him: "Put that down immedia--" And that's about how long it would take.

And yeah, definitely something that could and should have been avoided.

 

[McKenna]

The only remarkable thing about this incident is the boy shot someone else and not himself.

Truth.

This whole story makes my heart ache.

 

[koalabear]

What a pity that there wasn't a well-armed militia in the bedroom to protect her.

Someone should have called the police.

 

[girlsmiley]

It was a hit.

Can someone please explain to me what this guy means by 'It was a hit'.

I'm so over code speak.

 

[Squibbs]

Its the woman's own fault.

Had she been a good american she would have been packing and defended herself.

 

[phrodeau]

Can someone please explain to me what this guy means by 'It was a hit'.

I'm so over code speak.

I think he means that the kid was recruited by the 211 Gang to take out the deputy's wife.

 

[bronzeage]

Can someone please explain to me what this guy means by 'It was a hit'.

I'm so over code speak.

My apologies.

It was a facetious remark. "A hit" is slang for a paid murder, usually by a hired killer, known as a "hit man."

 

[CHNOPS]

You can have that 4-year-old's guns when you pry them from his young mother's cold, dead hands.

Also, dad was obviously in on it, since everyone knows if you're armed you can stop all other shootings from occurring.

 

[KyleW]

You can have that 4-year-old's guns when you pry them from his young mother's cold, dead hands.

Also, dad was obviously in on it, since everyone knows if you're armed you can stop all other shootings from occurring.

I didn't know that until koala started posting his amazing links.