A small child was shot dead because of sheer carelessness on Monday. The tragic incident happened during a forest picnic in Maros County when an eight-year-old shot his five-year-old brother with an air rifle left lying around. The owner of the gun has been detained by the police for violation of the provisions on guns and ammunition, the Agerpres news agency reported.
Emanuela Fărcaş, the spokeswoman for Maros County Police, stated on Tuesday that the owner of the air rifle that fatally wounded the five-year-old has been detained following an investigation of the crime scene; the police suspect that the child was shot due to negligence. According to the regulations in force, all guns that require a permit must be kept locked in a metal cabinet, which should be attached to the floor or a wall. Moreover, the owner of a licensed gun (including an air rifle) is not allowed to give the weapon to another person for use. The air rifle in question was carelessly left lying around.
As the Székelyhon.ro news portal reported, on Monday, during a picnic of several families, an eight-year-old boy shot his five-year-old brother in the courtyard of a holiday cabin located between Mezőmadaras (Mădăraş) and Mezőpanit (Pănet) with an air rifle he had found. As the shot was close-range, the small child was fatally wounded, and the medics arriving at the scene were unable to save him. The air gun was legally owned by a 49-year-old forester who attended the picnic.
As the spokeswoman for Maros County Police told Székelyhon, the call was made to the 112 emergency number at 15:00 on Monday, notifying the operator that a child was shot with an air gun. The police discovered that there were several vacationers in the courtyard, including the family of the two boys, but the air rifle seems to have been left unattended. As he played with the gun, the eight-year-old accidentally shot his little brother in the chest, and the five-year-old went into cardiorespiratory failure. The medics tried to resuscitate him, but he passed away on the spot.
According to the police’s statement, an investigation has been launched on the suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, violation of the regulation regarding weapons and ammunition, unauthorized use of a non-lethal weapon, and complicity in the unauthorized use of a non-lethal weapon.
Title image: During the forest picnic, the air rifle was left unattended. The image is an illustration.
Source: outdoorempire.com
