Two-year old kills his mother in Idaho

I agree that it is now a circle they can't escape. They feel they need a gun because everyone else has one! Poor little boy - to grow up knowing you shot your own mother! What a world!

Crossed posts

If that tragic shooting at a primary school just over 2 years ago didn't change anything then nothing will.

No, it won't make them tighten up their gun laws, TriciaF, most US citizens would be appalled at any attempt to curtail their 'right to keep and bear arms' despite tragedies such as this which occur so often.

soontobe why is soutrapulling funny faces at you?

No; it won't make them tighten up their gun laws .

Surely this case will make them tighten up their gun laws, it's so obvious that they have become too careless about carrying one.
As for a child of 2 could have the aggressive streak and understand what guns were for, I don't think so. I remember buying a toy set of tiny guns for our 2 boys when they were about 8 and 9, but they were more interested in water pistols and the fun they could have with them.
Can you still buy them now?
BTW, their Dad had a shotgun which I always hated, but it was locked up in a cupboard.

I agree with Agus; it's a problem that just feeds itself. I have to be honest here and think that, had the Australian siege happened in America someone in the cafe would have just shot the gunman [it was a passing thought and I'm ashamed of myself for thinking it].

I was quite anti-gun when I had my son, none were allowed in the house, his nursery school didn't have any, no books with them in, I wasn't making a big fuss about it but relatives were told firmly, no guns in any form.

When he went to school, coincidentally they too were very anti-guns. When he was six I kept on finding sticks in his pockets, I asked what they were and he said they were secret guns, they could only play with them when the teachers weren't looking. I gave up at that point. Now he's in the OTC, after years of having been a cadet. Something about weaponry just seems to capture their imaginations.

I can understand some americans needing guns, those who live in bear country, for defence, perhaps. Or against snakes. I do understand that it would be almost impossible to forbid people living in the wilds to give up their guns, but that's such a tragic story. Hopefully it will teach people to be far more careful in future. For a year or two, anyway.

Soontobe Most parents I know don't like plastic swords but we can't stop our children or grandchildren copying what they see in everyday life or on TV when they are allowed to watch it.
As to swords making Soldiers Hero's I think you may have to look at our History and use of The Sword right back to Saxon Times,Swords are now a great part of the Ceremonial Dress for our Serving Forces and should be preserved as part of our History.
I feel so sorry for the family concerned this sounds like a tragic accident that shouldn't have happened.

What a tragedy, and how awful for the little boy it will be a lot to come to terms with when he is old enough to understand he unwittingly caused his mother's death.

I can't really understand why she would have a gun in her handbag, kids of that age are into everything, particularly riffling about a handbag. Having shopped at those out of town malls by the side of the road in the US they didn't come across as dangerous places to me.

There was a strange statement on the news that the woman had a licence 'to carry a concealed weapon' whatever that means. This is a true tragedy for the family and for this poor child

Oh, that's horrific! Poor little boy.

I would imagine it's a catch 22 over there whereby people feel a need to carry protection against the rest of the gun toting population, one of whom may take a pop at them in one of a variety of scenarios.

Another !!
"Centuries" ago it was a pretty lawless place and even in the UK swordsticks, ladies' miniature pistols, wonderfully misnamed "life preserver" stcks etc have all made an appearance.

It seems to go back centuries.
And most people have several. Across all income brackets and types of people.
Isnt it because supposedly, if the Government goes rogue, the people are ready?

Too dreadful isn't it.

What is it about the USA and addiction to guns

Some hand guns – particularly Glocks, I think – don't have safety anymore.

Of course he's not to blame - but this is a family who carry loaded guns. Who knows how their reasoning works.

The safety should have been on, it must have been off and anything in her bag could have triggered it. Doesn't seem possible does it, the poor family must be distraught.

The child of two is so not to blame for anything.

Poor little lad. What has it done to his life. I wonder who the family will blame and how they can manage to overcome it.

Surely no mother would take their child shopping in a dodgey area. She's in a car, she'd have driven to somewhere safe to shop. I just cannot comprehend the need many Americans have to carry guns. Let alone loaded with the safety off.

You do come up with some suggestions!

I am not sure you can get a gun mended at Walmart. But perhaps she was on the way to a gun shop afterwards?

I dont know anything about guns and safety catches.
Could it have been faulty?
Or she forgot?

I assumed she was carrying the weapon for protection but why no safety catch.

I heard on the radio that this young woman was a research scientist of some kind, so evidently had a brain, but a misguided one.