In Arkansas this November, within about a week of each other, two unintentional self-inflicted firearm deaths occurred at the hands of a two and six year old.
Six-year-old Eron Burks found a loaded gun on the floor of the car his aunt was driving and shot himself in the face. His aunt has been charged with manslaughter.
A 2-year-old got his hands on a gun in his uncle’s home and shot himself in the head. His parents have been charged with manslaughter.
However, in South Carolina, a 24 year-old great aunt was charged with unlawfully carrying a pistol when her nephew shot his grandmother, not fatally, in the back after finding a gun in the pocket of the passenger seat in the car they were all driving in.
Guests:
Michael Gmoser, the prosecutor for Butler County, Ohio
Adam Winkler, Professor of Law at UCLA. He tweets at @AdamWinkler
Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Legal Editor for Slate