From Really Bad to Even Worse: Man Pleads Guilty to Accidentally Shooting Teen

A Norfolk, Virginia, man this week pleaded responsible within the unintended deadly taking pictures of a 14-year-old boy final 12 months in a house the place he was watching as many as a dozen youngsters. The Virginian-Pilot experiences Albert J. Sutton, 27, has pleaded responsible to involuntary manslaughter and reckless dealing with of a firearm for the incident that occurred Sept. 3, 2023. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 25.

The Norfolk Commonwealth’s Lawyer experiences the taking pictures occurred in a Norfolk house the place Sutton was watching a minimum of a dozen children whereas their mother and father ran errands. Sutton had a gun with him and for some unknown cause, determined whereas he had an viewers of youngsters ranging in age from toddlers to teenagers that he was accountable watching whereas their mother and father had been away, was a great time to drag out the gun he was carrying and present it to a few of them.

The group was in an upstairs bed room the place Sutton was exhibiting of his gun when he “by accident pulled the set off.” Amir Anthony Burnett, 14, was shot within the chest and later pronounced lifeless, the article experiences. In the meantime, Sutton apparently did name 911, however solely after he fled the house, leaving the entire youngsters unsupervised and left to take care of a bleeding and dying peer.

Sutton was apprehended later that day and “initially tried accountable one of many youngsters for taking pictures” Burnett. Beneath questioning, he later confessed to “mistakenly firing” the gun whereas trying to not reholster it however shove it again in his waistband. Sutton has remained in jail with out bond since his arrest practically a 12 months in the past.

A View to Accountability

There may be a lot to unpack on this tragedy that would have so simply been averted.

Possessing and carrying a firearm is totally each particular person’s proper below the Second Modification of the U.S. Structure, however with that proper, comes appreciable accountability. The primary, learn to safely deal with the gun in addition to safely shoot it. That features responsibly carrying the gun as effectively, in a holster or a case, not your waistband which might be harmful because the set off and set off guard aren’t protected in a waistband and a gun can simply fall out or slide down the leg of your pants creating potential for an unintended discharge. Simply ask former NFL participant Plaxico Burress how that labored out for him and the 2008 New York Giants. 

There are some nice holsters that may simply slip inside your waistband and keep in place in case you like that fashion of carry whereas on the identical time maintaining the gun securely in place and guarded.

On this case, Sutton, seems to have had his finger on the set off, one other severe breach of gun security. By no means put your finger on the set off till you’re aiming at your goal and able to safely shoot…and know the background and foreground round your goal to make sure it’s protected to shoot earlier than firing. That is fundamental firearms security protocol each gun proprietor ought to know and all the time observe with out fail.

Lastly, given the considerations about firearms in our society, considerations which circumstances like this sadly add legitimacy, simply have a bit of respect and consideration. Regardless of how ardent a 2A supporter and gun proprietor we could also be, everyone knows there are many mother and father on the market who lack that very same enthusiasm and wouldn’t respect folks dealing with weapons round their youngsters, significantly when they don’t seem to be current, you haven’t requested their permission otherwise you aren’t heading up an organized gun security or vary occasion. 

This could go with out saying, however don’t pull a gun out and start exhibiting it off if you’re the freaking babysitter. All of us get that you simply’re “tremendous cool” carrying a gun however present some restraint round youngsters who aren’t yours. Need to win their admiration and affection? Play ball or some video games with them. Give them a rattling snack, possibly some Cheetos and don’t make them wipe their arms or a giant bottle of soda they’ll guzzle down, or if you wish to hold issues wholesome, an apple.

Firearms possession is a proper on this nation, but when we don’t additionally deal with it with accountability, we’re going to present those that search to chip away at that proper extra instruments to do it with. Fortuitously, most gun house owners studying this do perceive security and know the best way to correctly deal with a firearm. But it surely solely takes one unhealthy apple—and definitely a state of affairs as tragic as this one—to break issues for everyone, particularly that child who ought to nonetheless be with us and his household who cherished him.