http://www.wthitv.com/dpp/news/local/te ... erre-haute

WEST TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Around 10:00 a.m. Friday, police were called to a shooting at the home of West Terre Haute police officer Rick Porter

Police at the scene said Porter's 15-year-old son had been hunting earlier in the morning with a 14-year-old friend.

The two teens arrived back at the home and were putting away a 12 gauge shotgun when it went off, hitting the 14-year-old in the groin area.

"When I arrived, medical treatment was already being administered to the 14-year-old inside the residence," Steve Meng of the Vigo Co. Sheriff's Dept. said. "Absolutely make sure that your weapons are unloaded before you go back inside your home."

The 14-year-old boy was flown via Lifeline to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment.

Meng said he does not expect any charges in this case.

The boy is currently listed in stable condition.

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No word on how serious the injury is, or what got shot.

Poor lil guy. I wonder how many of the people that endure thse incidents eventually find their way here.

Why was a 14 yr old let out to hunt with a shotgun??

chemcast scot (imported) wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:29 am Why was a 14 yr old let out to hunt with a shotgun??

Quite a common experience here. Gun families tend to teach them young. My nephew was a high score marksman by the time he was 12.

chemcast scot (imported) wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:29 am Why was a 14 yr old let out to hunt with a shotgun??

When my Niece and her husband took their boy hunting (at 13 y/o), they all went to a gun and rifle safe handling course and learned or relearned what to do. I know hunters with teens that go every year to that course.

Hunting is a huge industry around here. With the exception of G3, all of the boys here have been bloodthirsty hunters since they were old enough to attend hunters' education classes.

Also, with a lack of natural predators (and despite hunting season) the deer population around here is totally out of control. They cost Indiana millions of dollars every year in crop and auto damage. The problem is further compounded by the property owners that won't allow hunting on their property, thus providing a safe haven for the overgrown rats to breed.

As for the boys going out hunting alone, there's no law against that - that I know of. At least, not here. One of them failed to unload his gun, though, and might now be missing a few things. I'm sure the news won't be posting the extent of his "groin damage", though.

chemcast scot (imported) wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:29 am Why was a 14 yr old let out to hunt with a shotgun??

I got my first shotgun before I was 14, and I went hunting by myself with it all the time. This is the USA, after all.

Thats why tighter gun controls are needed

Then by all means please tighten them up in the UK where you live. I see no reason to tighten them up in the US as I do not feel unsafe walking the streets here.

I for one am totally against a nanny state. I think instead of all these nanny laws that are being passed in the US and UK those government should instead write a universal common sense law that states that some things have danger associated with them and if you fail to respect that, it's not the manufacturers fault.

Coffee is hot, guns shoot things, knives are sharp, you might trip on a step, etc.

Society doesn't need to have everything labeled with warnings and doesn't need the nanny state to constantly make manufacturers warn people to be careful with things that it should be common sense to be careful with.

chemcast scot (imported) wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:24 pm Thats why tighter gun controls are needed

Then after controlling guns, move to knives, and other dual use objects. What then? Ban anything sharp, heavy, etc...

You just can not enforce safety by banning potentially dangerous objects. We are not in kindergarten, most are responsible adults.