Well, as somebody said not too long ago, if you have firearms long enough, it's likely to happen. And today's that day.
Youngest son wanted to show middle son his deer rifle. I opened the safe, pulled out the shotgun that was there in the front. Handed it to youngest son, thinking that one was his (both he and hubster have Mossberg 500 shotguns, but son's is 20 ga). Turned back to get the 30.06. Youngest son racked the pump action, took off the safety, and blew a hole in our bathroom ceiling.
He is 17.
It also blew about a 2-3 inch hole in our roof (one-storey house).
He is extremely shaken, as well he should be. The only good thing is that he did at least have the thing pointed UP. I have a call in to the roofers to fix the exterior hole before it starts to rain tomorrow. The roofers will apparently also do the other repair (not just the shingles, but the hole in the wood). I will have Youngest Son do the bathroom ceiling repair himself (just sheetrock and paint.)
So: what have we learned from this?
1) I bear responsibility for not having checked that the shotgun was cleared before handing it to him.
2) He bears responsibility for racking the pump, taking the safety off, and pulling the trigger.
3) It might behoove us to not keep a shotgun loaded..... Youngest son's is actually a wooden stock, and hubster's is a composite. Still, easy to get that muddled (obviously) when thinking about a different gun altogether.
4) We are smart to make sure we're the only ones with the combination. It isn't even written down so that he could find it and be tempted.
5) This is a less than stellar way to celebrate your 24th anniversary.
Still, all are ok, if unnerved.
Springmom, whose bathroom reeks of gunpowder smell....
Youngest son wanted to show middle son his deer rifle. I opened the safe, pulled out the shotgun that was there in the front. Handed it to youngest son, thinking that one was his (both he and hubster have Mossberg 500 shotguns, but son's is 20 ga). Turned back to get the 30.06. Youngest son racked the pump action, took off the safety, and blew a hole in our bathroom ceiling.
He is 17.
It also blew about a 2-3 inch hole in our roof (one-storey house).
He is extremely shaken, as well he should be. The only good thing is that he did at least have the thing pointed UP. I have a call in to the roofers to fix the exterior hole before it starts to rain tomorrow. The roofers will apparently also do the other repair (not just the shingles, but the hole in the wood). I will have Youngest Son do the bathroom ceiling repair himself (just sheetrock and paint.)
So: what have we learned from this?
1) I bear responsibility for not having checked that the shotgun was cleared before handing it to him.
2) He bears responsibility for racking the pump, taking the safety off, and pulling the trigger.
3) It might behoove us to not keep a shotgun loaded..... Youngest son's is actually a wooden stock, and hubster's is a composite. Still, easy to get that muddled (obviously) when thinking about a different gun altogether.
4) We are smart to make sure we're the only ones with the combination. It isn't even written down so that he could find it and be tempted.
5) This is a less than stellar way to celebrate your 24th anniversary.
Still, all are ok, if unnerved.
Springmom, whose bathroom reeks of gunpowder smell....