It’s an unfortunate fact that in any large population of gun owners, a certain small percentage of them either won’t know enough or refuse to store their firearms responsibly. The results of which are often devastating. Some Armed Intelligentsia members have accused us of being anti-cop for pointing out failures by police officers to follow basic gun-handling and safety procedures. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have virtually endless respect for people that put their lives on the line to keep their fellow citizens safe. But when those entrusted with firearms and the use of deadly force fail to secure their guns, it’s a big deal. Especially when…
It results in the death of one of their own children.
The boy, Daniel Metz, climbed on top of a plastic laundry basket and retrieved the .40-caliber handgun from the top dresser drawer before shooting himself once in the head.
Officer Ryan Metz routinely stored the handgun out of reach inside a bedroom closet. But on Tuesday, Ryan Metz put the gun in the dresser drawer because he was scheduled to work a shift in private security after finishing his afternoon shift for Maryland Heights.
No, it really doesn’t get any more tragic than this. I can’t imagine what the Metz family is going through and wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. But as RF has said a number of times, there are really only two places for your handgun. On your hip or in a safe. That’s something a police officer shouldn’t have to learn this way.
And no, you don’t need a big heavy expensive safe. You can keep your handgun(s) in a smaller, affordable unit that’s still childproof. Many of which will fit in a dresser or nightstand drawer. As for long guns, there are plenty of inexpensive options that will keep them out of the hands of those who shouldn’t touch them. Securing your gun is part of the responsibility of ownership. Not securing it just isn’t worth the risk.