The tragic shooting death of a 10-year old Smithville boy is proof that guns and children do not mix. Rickie Jenkins was shot by his 7-year old playmate Monday night.
The boys found a loaded 4-10 shotgun in a closet.
The tragedy serves as a reminder to keep your guns away from children.
The tragic shooting death of 10-year old Rickie Jenkins shocked those who know his family. "I knew them, I had a long history with them and it hits the community hard especially with kids," said Jackie Sizemore.
Jackie Sizemore is one of those people. As the owner of Backwoods Outdoors he knows how useful guns can be especially for protection but as a father of two he also knows how dangerous guns can be. "The big thing is to educate your kids on what the purpose of a gun is," he said.
Nowadays, guns are in more than a half of all homes and a child as young as 3 has the strength to pull a trigger. "Even an unloaded gun, that's the most dangerous gun there is," said GBI agent Danny Jackson.
That's why it is important to talk to your kids about the dangers of guns, and what to do if they find one. For instance, you can tell a child to leave the area if they see a gun, don't touch and tell an adult. But kids will be kids and unfortunately tragic accidents can happen. That's why it's the responsibility of gun owners to keep their guns out of reach and out of sight from kids.
There are products on the market to help keep your firearms safe. "We sell safes and we have locks," said Sizemore.
And courses are available to help owners learn proper safety techniques. But the tragic death of Rickie Jenkins is a reminder that accidents can and will happen.
The Albany Police Department give away gun locks.
All you need to do is stop by the Law Enforcement Center and pick one up.
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