Police officer in response to shooting of child: 'There is no such thing as an accidental discharge'

It's sad to write, but "accidental" shootings involving children seem to happen often enough that they don't always receive the national attention they deserve. But what is refreshing is that a police officer in southern Virginia publicly criticized the very use of the word "accidental" when referring to a recent shooting where a 6-year-old shot a 1-year-old in the back. (Register and Bee photo by Allison Roberts: The house, where the shooting took place, was also visited by police in June after a report of shots being fired)

Police say the 6-year-old boy "found a .380 handgun that belonged to a man also living in the home and accidentally fired the weapon," Allison Roberts reports for the Danville Register and Bee. "The bullet from the .380 traveled through a wall in the home and struck a 1-year-old in the back." The victim was listed in stable condition.

"Cpl. T.B Scearce of the Danville Police Department said there is no such thing as an accidental discharge — it is a negligent discharge," Roberts writes. "In order for a gun to fire, Scearce said three things have to occur: it has to be functional, it has to be loaded and the trigger has to be pulled." The story can be found on the newspaper website on Aug. 6. To visit the site click here.

In response to the shooting, the sheriff's department is pushing gun safety by giving away free gun locks, reports ABC News 13, which covers Lynchburg, Danville and Roanoke. Sheriff Mike Mondul told the news, "I think with the recent shooting incident that happened, it kind of raised awareness as to why gun safety is important." In just a matter of seconds, a gun lock, like the one in the photo, can secure a weapon and make it inoperable without a key, ABC News reports. (Read more)