It comes as no surprise to anyone when I mention that America is a country riddled with guns. Here are a few shocking stats regarding America's gun culture.

• The share of American households owning at least one firearm has remained relatively steady since 1972, hovering between 37 percent and 47 percent

• In the United States in 2022, 48 percent of Republicans reported that they owned at least one gun, and 66 percent said that they lived in a household with a gun

• 38% of White Americans own a gun, compared with smaller shares of Black (24%), Latinx (20%) and Asian (10%) Americans

• The survey stated that American civilians account for an estimated 393 million (about 46 percent) of the worldwide total of civilian-held firearms

• Of the 265 million privately owned firearms in the US, about half are owned by 3% of the US adult population.

• While about half of gun owners own one or two guns, 8% of gun owners own 10 or more – a figure that amounts to about 40% of the total US gun stock, according to the report.

With all these weapons flowing freely, it is no shock that accidents happen. Before we proceed, we should clearly define and mark the difference between ACCIDENTAL discharge and NEGLIGENT discharge. An accidental discharge takes place when the gun is fired, and it has nothing to do with the weapon wielder or their behavior. Instead, the source is a mechanical failure of the firearm. In contrast, an accidental discharge is the product of the weapon wielder violating one of the four basic gun safety rules. For those who need a refresher, they are:

1. Treat every gun as if it is loaded

2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you're not willing to destroy

3. Keep your finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot

4. Be sure of your target and what is in line with your target

Today we'll be looking at two instances of gun violence caused by negligent discharges. The notable thing about these three cases is that they all take place in gun ranges. Despite the numerous safety measures put in place, gun ranges are dangerous locations filled with novices handling deadly equipment. It goes without saying that if gun mishaps are going to happen, it's going to be at the gun range. Regardless, gun ranges have been innovating in an attempt to make the establishments safer. One of the precautions put in place involves the use of cables to hold the gun in place. This prevents the novice from pointing it anywhere but downrange.

https://old.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/bh68e2/this_gun_range_in_australia_has_a_bar_and_cables/

I hope you enjoy today's piece.

Yours sincerely,
Sneedman.

1. The Nine-Year-Old With the Mini Uzi

It was a warm day on the 25th of August 2014 in Arizona. A family was on holiday in Las Vegas when they decided to travel to Arizona Last Stop gun range (also known as "Bullets and Burgers") in White Hills, Arizona. This gun range is notable because it allows anyone from age eight upwards to fire a gun. The little girl in the family was 9, making her old enough to handle a gun at the range. As a treat, she was allowed to play with the Fully Automatic Uzi which was owned by the gun range. It is legal for the range to have the weapon because it was manufactured and purchased before the passage of the Firearm Owners Protection Act in 1986 and added to the National Firearms Act machine gun registry where all fully automatic civilian-owned firearms are registered.

The family was assisted by Charles Vacca, a 39-year-old instructor who had been working at the gun range for 18 months. The father, Alex Gen MacLachlan, had a go with the weapon first. Braaap braaap braaap went the fully automatic firearm capable of firing 600 to 650 bullets a minute! It was a feeling like no other. Next, it was the 9-year-old girl's turn. Vacca helped her hold the gun. Unfortunately, the gun was still too much for the girl and she lost control. Instead of aiming downrange, she swung and aimed at the instructor while firing, earning him a fatal bullet to the head. At first, the family tended to the girl thinking she was the only one who was hurt and it wasn't until a co-worker ran to Vacca's aid that they realised something was terribly wrong. The entire event was caught on camera by the girl's mother, Alison MacLachlan.

The incident caught the media's attention due to the age of the girl and the involvement of firearms which is a hot-button topic. No legal charges were placed against the girl and

her family. In fact, Vacca's family forgives the little girl's family and holds no ill will. They wrote a letter to family acknowledging their grief and encouraging them to move forward with their lives.

>"You should not let this define you," they wrote. "Someday we hope we can meet you, hug you, and tell you that it's OK."

https://abcnews.go.com/US/children-uzi-shooting-victim-charles-vacca-pen-letter/story?id=25435120

So where does the blame go? To the parents for letting their child fire a gun? Or to the instructor? Maybe it's the gun range owner's fault for allowing 9-year-olds to handle fully automatic firearms. You decide.

2. Father Kills Son at the Gun Range

Ah, shooting guns is a fine family activity! The smell of gunpowder and the ear-splitting bang of ammunition being spent makes for the best childhood memories! That's the philosophy William Clayton Brumby follows, as he decided to take some of his children to High Noon Gun Range in Florida. While firing a gun, a hot shell was ejected which fell into the back of his shirt. Gun in hand, the father quickly tried to fish out the hot shell and accidentally fired the gun. The bullet hit the roof and ricocheted, killing his 14-year-old son, Stephen Brumby.

Stephen Brumby was one of seven children, and he loved tennis, bass fishing, and playing worship piano at church, according to CNN. William takes full responsibility for the death of Stephen. He had the following to say:

"The gun didn't kill my boy. I did," he told CNN.

"Every round in the gun is your responsibility. When it fires you need to stand to account for it. That's what I've spent the last two days doing, accounting for my operating error."

No charges were filed against William. Do you think this is the right move? Has William suffered enough, or does he deserve jail time?

Conclusion

Americans need to sit down and have a serious conversation regarding guns and the future of the country. Guns are the leading cause of death for US children and teens, since surpassing car accidents in 2020. Will Americans continue down this path, or will they decide it is time for change? For now, guns seem to be synonymous with masculinity, safety, and patriotism, and while this is the case, the status quo will remain the same, and the gun range to morgue pipeline shall remain.

Tune in next time when I give a review of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.