Okay, this is a gun nut.

[Manopolus]

So what is more likely then? Someone who wishes better gun ownership controls to potentially save lives goes out, gets a gun, loads it with live ammo and leaves it lying around in the toy section of a store, hoping that a child will pick it up, fire it and maim or kill other human beings. Or that someone who is not a responsible gun owner took their gun to the store with them, laid it down for a moment while dealing with shopping or a child, then forgot it. No need for a conspiracy theory here that I can see, or even a devious plan. Just human error.

I don't buy it being accidental. I also don't think it was necessarily the political motive that you suggest. I'm content with saying that I don't know the motive.

 

[smartcooky]

I didn't read the article but I pesonally have kept a gin in my home and auto since 1974 without an accident. Guns are like tools you treat them with respect and nothing will happen.

Hang on! Someone leaves a loaded gun in the children's toy aisle of a department store, and you think this is OK?

So what is more likely then? Someone who wishes better gun ownership controls to potentially save lives goes out, gets a gun, loads it with live ammo and leaves it lying around in the toy section of a store, hoping that a child will pick it up, fire it and maim or kill other human beings. Or that someone who is not a responsible gun owner took their gun to the store with them, laid it down for a moment while dealing with shopping or a child, then forgot it. No need for a conspiracy theory here that I can see, or even a devious plan. Just human error.

What would they be doing with their gun un-holstered in the children's toy aisle of a department store?

 

[ponderingturtle]

It would appear that someone left an actual firearm in a toy store. I can't imagine someone doing this by accident.

You never set something down and forget where you put it and left it there? Sure bathrooms are more common but not as news worthy for this kind of thing but it isn't that uncommon.

 

[smartcooky]

You never set something down and forget where you put it and left it there? Sure bathrooms are more common but not as news worthy for this kind of thing but it isn't that uncommon.

I repeat. Why would you have the gun in your hand in a toy store?

Is this a standard practice for Americans; to walk down the toy aisle in a store holding a real, loaded gun?

 

[ponderingturtle]

I repeat. Why would you have the gun in your hand in a toy store?

Is this a standard practice for Americans; to walk down the toy aisle in a store holding a real, loaded gun?

I don't know. It was getting in the way pulling a toy off a shelf?

People are stupid.

 

[The Don]

You never set something down and forget where you put it and left it there? Sure bathrooms are more common but not as news worthy for this kind of thing but it isn't that uncommon.

Isn't a little worrying when finding a loaded weapon left accidentally in a bathroom is neither uncommon nor newsworthy ?

In the event that firearm sales become tightly more tightly regulated I cannot see it having any appreciable difference on either gun related crimes or accidents if people who don't qualify to buy a firearm can merely wait to pick up one accidentally discarded in a public convenience.

 

[catsmate]

It would appear that someone left an actual firearm in a toy store. I can't imagine someone doing this by accident.

I can, but I work in IT so I may have greater experience with the depths of human stupidity and carelessness.

[OT] "loss prevention worker" ? That's a new one on me...

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

So what is more likely then? Someone who wishes better gun ownership controls to potentially save lives goes out, gets a gun, loads it with live ammo and leaves it lying around in the toy section of a store, hoping that a child will pick it up, fire it and maim or kill other human beings. Or that someone who is not a responsible gun owner took their gun to the store with them, laid it down for a moment while dealing with shopping or a child, then forgot it. No need for a conspiracy theory here that I can see, or even a devious plan. Just human error.

That second option made me spray oatmeal everywhere.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Isn't a little worrying when finding a loaded weapon left accidentally in a bathroom is neither uncommon nor newsworthy ?

In the event that firearm sales become tightly more tightly regulated I cannot see it having any appreciable difference on either gun related crimes or accidents if people who don't qualify to buy a forearm can merely wait to pick up one accidentally discarded in a public convenience.

On the relative scale of things. Uncommon in this case is dependant on many factors. Police bathrooms would be good places to check.

 

[turingtest]

More people get murdered with hammers than with assault rifles.

They can have my hammer when they pry it from my cold dead callused hands.

Not to argue, but could you point to stats that support this statement? Inquiring minds want to know.

I suspect it came, via Chinese Whispers, from these FBI stats. You'll note a little misdirection going on here- "hammers" is only an example of the overall set of "blunt objects," and "assault rifles" isn't even a named subset of "total firearms," so the comparison can't be as directly made as casebro is pretending.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

How to Lie with Statistics
by Darrell Huff , Irving Geis

 

[I Ratant]

I repeat. Why would you have the gun in your hand in a toy store?

Is this a standard practice for Americans; to walk down the toy aisle in a store holding a real, loaded gun?

.
Showing little Noodnick that Daddy's gun doesn't have those orange things on it that the toy gun does. The toy gun is a lot prettier! "Oh, someone dropped a new nickel. Here, hold my gun while I pick it up."

 

[Dr. Keith]

Hang on! Someone leaves a loaded gun in the children's toy aisle of a department store, and you think this is OK?

You didn't read his post:

I didn't read the article but I pesonally have kept a gin in my home and auto since 1974 without an accident.

He has no idea it is about a gun in the toy aisle because he didn't read the article. Also, gin.

 

[iknownothing]

So what is more likely then? Someone who wishes better gun ownership controls to potentially save lives goes out, gets a gun, loads it with live ammo and leaves it lying around in the toy section of a store, hoping that a child will pick it up, fire it and maim or kill other human beings. Or that someone who is not a responsible gun owner took their gun to the store with them, laid it down for a moment while dealing with shopping or a child, then forgot it. No need for a conspiracy theory here that I can see, or even a devious plan. Just human error.

Or, a kid takes a gun from home to show off to friends, later realizes he could be in big trouble, and leaves it at the store.

Maybe the suspicious person was Dad, who got the story out of the kid, and was walking up and down the toy aisles trying to find it.

Since we're speculating.

 

[fuelair]

Isn't a little worrying when finding a loaded weapon left accidentally in a bathroom is neither uncommon nor newsworthy ?

In the event that firearm sales become tightly more tightly regulated I cannot see it having any appreciable difference on either gun related crimes or accidents if people who don't qualify to buy a firearm can merely wait to pick up one accidentally discarded in a public convenience.

As an American who is in restrooms for the normal 3 possible reasons many times a week, I can assure you I have never found a gun in any of those visits. Nor has anyone I know (or if they have they did not mention it.......).

 

[The Don]

As an American who is in restrooms for the normal 3 possible reasons many times a week, I can assure you I have never found a gun in any of those visits. Nor has anyone I know (or if they have they did not mention it.......).

I'd have thought it unusual as well, but according to ponderingturtle

Sure bathrooms are more common but not as news worthy for this kind of thing but it isn't that uncommon.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Or, a kid takes a gun from home to show off to friends, later realizes he could be in big trouble, and leaves it at the store.

Yeah, the more public the better. I'm surprised someone hasn't suggested sale to a uniformed police officer yet.

Maybe the suspicious person was Dad, who got the story out of the kid, and was walking up and down the toy aisles trying to find it.

There is a limit to the elasticity of anything.

 

[iknownothing]

Yeah, the more public the better. I'm surprised someone hasn't suggested sale to a uniformed police officer yet.

My guess is probably wrong. But, I don't think "that would be really stupid and public" is any argument against it.

Someone was either very stupid, or evil. Stupidity is probably more common, so I'm gonna go with that.

 

[ponderingturtle]

I'd have thought it unusual as well, but according to ponderingturtle

Depends on what one defines as unusual. I also mentioned newsworthy. It is common like car accidents and such. Now Sure there are the stories that get reported like the fire arms safety instructor and school security officer, or the police officer who left his gun in the bathroom at the movies.

Funny how even with trainers the training seems not to take well.

 

[The Don]

Depends on what one defines as unusual. I also mentioned newsworthy. It is common like car accidents and such. Now Sure there are the stories that get reported like the fire arms safety instructor and school security officer, or the police officer who left his gun in the bathroom at the movies.

my highlighting

There were an estimated 5.5 million accidents in the U.S. in 2010, surely guns left in toilet incidents can't be common like car accidents

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_vehicle_deaths_in_U.S._by_year