General Chat

I immediately thought as most of you, why doing target practice while small children around anyway, and if they were inside and he outside and they got out and touched the gun which he had left to answer the phone, still a very foolish situation to have allowed to happen.
Shame he wasn't playing with the children instead of using a gun anywhere near them. His punishment is the injury of his child, said still to be 'critical' at 11pm Sunday night.
Hope this little lad pulls though without brain damage or anything major as a result of this incident. If he does not pull though or is left disabled, his sister will have to cope with that too, bless her.

Lizx

Don't be sorry Muffy, I think he should be charged, It's beyond belief that someone who is responsible for children should be so stupid.

Yes he will never forgive himself for this for the rest of his life, but the reality is, he should not have left the gun...end of. I think he should be charged, and have the gun removed. Sadly its not illegal to own an air gun, but they are still dangerous, as is clearly shown by this incident.

The poor little mite

Sorry the dad shouldnt of been using the gun with children around nevermind leaving it in the reach of them, and yes I do think he should have the gun taken off him and him charged.

But although my husband and son has air rifles as well as shot guns I think that ALL weapons should need a licence and be locked up when not in use, this man obviously doesnt respect the power of the weapon he uses and definatley not responsible enough.

How many more are going to be killed or injured before they do something about them?
Should have been no where near children.

Marion

I'm sorry but I think it's negligence too.

Hope the little lad pulls through xx

It was a terrible accident, and I realise nobody meant for this to happen. But what sort of idiot leaves a loaded gun, albeit an air rifle, with his kids?

The little one is apparently stable.

The father 'was getting some target practice 'in the garden with his 2 and 5 yr old children ????

An accident is something that can't be avoided, surely.

This was at least negligence for leaving the gun out of his reach, let alone sight.

Hope the little one makes a full recovery and the others aren't too traumatised.

ohh dear god...

Now if this is true, then surely anyone with an iota of common sense would never have left the gun within reach of young children, in fact should have taken it indoors with him?

I know he will have to live with this for the rest of his life, and will probably never make a mistake like that again, but surely this amounts to negligence? Should he be charged?

An 18-month-old boy is critically ill in hospital after being shot in the head with an airgun in what appears to be a "tragic accident", police said.

He was playing with other young children in the garden of his home in Washwood Heath, Birmingham, on Sunday.

It is thought some children aged under five managed to access the air weapon and accidentally caused it to go off, West Midlands Police said.

The boy was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

He sustained a pellet wound to the back of the head.

Police inquiries into the circumstances have continued but it has been stressed officers were not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.

"While we are still trying to establish precisely what happened, this does appear to be a tragic accident involving young children," said DI Simon Vowles.

The above is from the BBC website, but ITV have just said the father was getting some target practise in the garden when he put the gun down to go and answer a phone call. His five year old daughter picked up the gun, and it went off, shooting a pellet into the back of her two-year-old brothers head.