The tragic case of teens showing off a gun is making the rounds in the news. A 14-year-old boy shows off a gun. Another teen died in the high school hallway on November 8, 2022. The Glock 32 that was manufactured in 2017 was a dangerous tool in this death. Some youth play with guns as if they are toys. However, while Glocks can be light and easy to control, there were 13 bullets in the magazine that ultimately ended a human life.
The police reported that the Glock passed through at least four pairs of teenage hands. But, it would not stop by the time it made it into Ingraham High School on that sad day last year. Teenagers are not allowed to buy guns by law. The Glock, which the father of a 14-year-old kept in a black bag in his bedroom closet, was taken by the teen. Last October, the gun owner called 911 and reported the Glock was gone. His 14-year-old son said he did not know where it was.
Guns are an issue around the country. Children that are not dying from mass shootings are killing themselves playing with guns. Of the guns in 54 open King County cases involving juveniles, 20 were stolen. Seattle passed a requiring that all firearms be locked up.
Washington state requires that you lock up your gun if you live with children. In 2018, this law requires gun owners to report a missing gun within five days in order to be off the hook. The father of the 14-year-old in this case told police he noticed his gun missing a week and a half before he reported it stolen. His wife said the Glock had been missing for several weeks.
Washington state voters also passed I-1639, a firearms law. In that law a gun owner could be charged with a gross misdemeanor for failing to secure a firearm if they “reasonably should have known that the firearm could be accessed by someone who is prohibited from possessing a firearm, such as a child.” That law was also passed in 2018.
