Girl, 3, hit by stray bullet, dies of injuries

" I will pray for the family, this is so sad. Rest in peace little one. "

" They haven't released any more information here but bloggers on a local site are saying that the person who shot may not have actually lived at the house. Also, I've read a lot about there not being a proper back stop. Also, people are blogging that "target practice" in this particular area has been a problem for awhile because it is a populated area - maybe not "heavily populated" but there are other houses & people around.

Haven't heard anything about charges. "

" I think a 9 mm could travel 300 yards, but not if aimed at a target on the ground and definitely not with an adequate backstop.

Down in the Ozarks, I hear shooting every day. Some is poachers and/or hunters, but most is target practice. A good Hunter ed/gun safety course is very important in addition parental or guardian instruction. I have been teaching the classes for 32 years and have never hesitated to ask a student to leave the class and go home if I suspected he/she was going to be unsafe or break game laws.

I am glad almost all the hunters who will be out this season have had the class. "

" Is the "Right to Bear Arms" worth a 3 year old's life? I say no. This is the 21st century after all, not the 18th. Time to become truly civilized. Of course, part of that 'becoming civilized' would entail more forceful law enforcment, rather than the nationwide law enlaxment that we have now. (Thanks, I know 'enlaxment' isn't a word, but it seems to express what is going on with violent criminals). "

" roseybud wrote "Gun safety is lax in this country, as recent local incidents can testify. "

I disagree. You are using anecdotal evidence to prove a broad generalization. Many people safely own and use firearms. A few are stupid. A few make mistakes.

Gun safety is up to the owner, just as the driver of a car. "

" They need to investigate to determine the ammount of negligence (if any) or was it just a tragic ricoche, or other miscalculation. Also what laws were broken (safety etc). What a tragic event for this family, what a horrific realization for the shooter. If he deliberately ignored safety rules while discharging this weapon, then he should be charged. Regardless, it will never bring her back, sooth her family, or remove his guilt.

Gun safety is lax in this country, as recent local incidents can testify. "

" This guy should be punished, because you are plain stupid shooting in a highly populated area. This will happen in my neighborhood because my neighbor is just as stupid except he is using a high powered rifle. When I mentioned this story to him he was like, Oh, I'm careful, like this guy wasn't. I am sure he had no intentions of shooting anyone but it happened because you cannot be 100% sure that bullet is going where you want it to go. "

" This is what the likely charge would be: http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C500-599/5650000024.HTM "

" sasha I agree with you that this man will have to live with this the rest of his life.

Ago, I forgot to mention in my other post that they removed the bullet from the child & as I understand it, they have to make sure it matches the other bullets from the gun in question, then decide what to do. Speculation here is that if he gets charged with anything, it would be extreme carelessness - whatever that formal charge is. "

" sasha wrote "Don't you know this poor guy is suffering more than you and I will ever be able to understand? Where is the compassion? I swear, this world is becoming less and less humane."

NO, I don't KNOW if he feels anything. It is an assumption that one cannot make these days. He may have only made a tragic mistake, but he well may be depraved. "

" bluenurse wrote "When the story broke here on Mon night, they did state there may be criminal charges."

There better be charges. Th eprosecutor must demand jail time. I suggest to go for the max. That'll probably only be 7 years. "

" ago: the guy was shooting at a plate stuck to a tree. There has been lot of speculation here .about what really happened, that the shooter didn't have an appropriate backstop(?)
that the shooter may have shot up in the air, etc. I don't know anything about guns, but the specualtion by people who do know guns is that if he actually shot at the plate in the tree, the bullet from that type of gun should have gone into the ground.
Supposedly, it travelled through some dense brush before it hit the girl.

When the story broke here on Mon night, they did state there may be criminal charges. "

" ago-

The bullet can ricochet, which I'm sure is what happened here. I personally knew someone that had a bullet hit a tree, richochet back and went through his heart and killed him. Tragic accident - but that's exactly what it was..an accident.

Don't you know this poor guy is suffering more than you and I will ever be able to understand? Where is the compassion? I swear, this world is becoming less and less humane. "

" It is my understanding the round that struck her was a 9mm. How does a 9mm round travel 300 yards when someone is "shooting at a target". My guess is the person who shot was not acting responsibly with his/her firearm and should be charged. "

" This is so sad. I pray for the families involved. Poor little Allison, rest in peace. "