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In a bizarre news story out of Texas, Tuesday evening a babysitter accidentally shot her ten-year-old charge while posing with a gun for pictures. The boy was rushed to the hospital and is recovering. In truth, even the best lawyer for personal injury would have a hard time accepting the babysitter’s case: she simply thought the gun was not loaded when she was posing with it.
The babysitter, a nineteen-year-old relative of the boy, was sitting with the boy on Tuesday night while his parents were out. There, she found the gun and assumed it was not loaded. Playing around, she proceeded to pose with the weapon, taking pictures with it and pointing it in various directions.
At some point, while taking a series of selfies, the babysitter accidentally pulled the weapon’s trigger and it fired. The bullet struck her ten-year-old charge in the stomach, and he collapsed. She quickly called 911.
It is unclear if the child’s parents will press charges against the babysitter. Police have not announced any investigations or any suspicion of foul play. Given that the girl is family, and not a stranger, it seems likely that the situation was an accident.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted that the boy, in critical condition, was rushed to the hospital. However, he seems likely to make a recovery. He had surgery on Wednesday, which resulted in his condition becoming significantly better. After being shot in the stomach, the speed with which the boy was taken to the hospital likely saved his life.
Gunshots are scary in general, but gunshots to the stomach are particularly scary. Any injury that causes damage to the stomach could result in acid spilling out into the abdominal cavity. This, coupled with internal bleeding, can quickly become deadly. It’s very fortunate that emergency services were able to quickly rush the boy to the hospital for medical attention.
Remember: you should treat any firearm you see as a loaded firearm. If you have no weapons training, simply leave any weapons you find alone.
In a situation where you for some reason must pick up a gun, keep your finger off the trigger, and never point it at anyone. If you know how, make sure the safety is on.
Most of all, always remember: a gun is not a toy, it is a deadly weapon.
