Tragic Accident or foolish marketing or bad parenting?

You have to realise that it was America where this happened. This isn't about whether toy guns look like the real thing, more about the irresponsible manner in which people handle guns in America. Rule one for handling guns is that unless you are at the range, there is no reason to load the gun, so don't. If a gun isn't loaded then you can't shoot someone with it, although you should always handle one as if it is loaded. Rule two is that unless you are cleaning a gun or doing some maintenance on it, it should be locked away in a cabinet out of the reach of all but the person with the keys. Let's not get more paranoia about guns. Guns don't shoot people, people shoot people.

In total agreement with you Nick.

I was in the cadets and we were taught how to handle a gun properly, i still run around the house with the kids toy guns with my finger over the trigger guard & not on the trigger itself - look a right bloody idiot!

I do have 3 air rifles which my boys use with my supervision but when they arent in use they are stowed away, not loaded or cocked and pellets kept in a seperate place - what on earth was a loaded revolver doing in reach of a child?

I agree Clive it's bad enough leaving a gun laying around but leaving it laying around loaded, well, there's no excuse for it.

They were talking about bringing charges - it wont bring the child back & i bet the father regrets his actions - but will lessons be learnt from this? I doubt it sadly.

amen, good quote

Spent a lot of time in the States, and it is a different culture, which a lot of Brits don't understand, but the right to bear arms is deep in the nations tradition. In North Carolina for example, while I was there, you could carry a concealed weapon, but it had to be displayed on the passenger seat when entering military installations.

I remember people checking in weapons at a night club in a sleepy backwater, which was an eye opener. But then, have also sat in a bar in Cyprus, and watched a Policeman get drunk as a skunk, with his machine pistol still round his neck.

Then of course you get 8 year olds in Africa dragging round FN Semi Automatic Rifles

Sometimes its a sad scary old world, especially when the little ones get hurt

I do wonder how long we can hold back the gun culture in the UK, it's slowly been sliding over the years, but we should be proud of our policeforce who by and large are still unarmed.

Speechless!