On Monday night a coworker who I was particularly close to was shot because his father did not follow these rules. If you love someone educate them.
"The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting death of a Venice man.
A witness called 9-1-1 to report a shooting at 607 Dolphin Road on Monday afternoon. The caller then told the operator they were leaving the house to transport the victim to Venice Regional Medical Center.
Witnesses reported that the victim, Zachary Dubay, DOB 11-10-87, and some friends were preparing to go to a firing range in Charlotte County when his father, Eugene Dubay, DOB 4-16-61, handed him a pistol and it accidentally discharged.
Zachary later died from his injuries."
1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
This is the primary rule of gun safety. A safe direction means that the gun is pointed so that even if it were to go off it would not cause injury or damage. The key to this rule is to control where the muzzle or front end of the barrel is pointed at all times. Common sense dictates the safest direction, depending on different circumstances.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
When holding a gun, rest your finger on the trigger guard or along the side of the gun. Until you are actually ready to fire, do not touch the trigger.
3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
Whenever you pick up a gun, immediately engage the safety device if possible, and, if the gun has a magazine, remove it before opening the action and looking into the chamber(s) which should be clear of ammunition. If you do not know how to open the action or inspect the chamber(s), leave the gun alone and get help from someone who does.
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Such a shame.
In junior high, we had a conversation officer that came and taught hunting/boating safety courses to all of us. Another rule of thumb he said time and time again is to treat the safety as a mechanical device with the knowledge that it can fail. So even if you have the safety on, always handle the gun with the 3 steps above.
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So sorry for your loss my brother. Very tragic.
The number 1 rule I learned from my Rangemaster when I first started shooting:
"Always treat every gun like its loaded and ready to roll. Never point the gun at anything you don't intend to kill"
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