Stories of accidental shootings shouldn't be used to score political points, but they might save a life.
A Florida woman who reportedly operated a "pro-gun" Facebook page has told police she was shot in the back by her 4-year-old son, says The Florida Times-Union.
Credit: George Mathis
Credit: George Mathis
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office told the newspaper Jamie Gilt, 31, of Jacksonville, was observed "behaving frantically" inside her 4-door pickup at about 3 p.m. Tuesday.
She told the deputy she had been shot by her son, who was found unharmed (and unrestrained) in the back seat of the truck. A .45-caliber handgun was found on the floor.
The bullet passed through the truck seat, into Gilt's back and through her torso. She was reported to be in stable condition Wednesday but medically unable to be interviewed by police.
Gilt could face a misdemeanor charge for not securing the weapon, but a former prosecutor theorized she has "suffered enough."
The story has gained traction on the interwebs because it is believed Gilt had, until the shooting, operated a Facebook page called "Jamie Gilt for Gun Sense."
The Facebook page is no longer available, but journalists have twitchy screenshot fingers.
Monday evening Gilt posted on Facebook that "my 4-year-old gets jacked up to target shoot the .22," the Times-Union reports.
Snopes.com cites a post from March 2 that has a child holding a sign that says "My parents are my armed bodyguards. Please let them do their job."
Another from Feb. 17 says "My right to protect my child with my gun trumps your fear of my gun."
I don't fear many things, but over-confident gun owners are most dangerous to those they love most.
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