In North St. Louis, a 21 month old toddler picked up a loaded gun and accidentally shot himself. Carter Epps was taken to an area hospital, but it was too late. The bullet round ripped through his chest and it was over. This will set off the “let’s get rid of guns” crowd and the gun rightsholders will rally against them, no matter how hard the news is. Each side has a point, but it all comes back to one thing and that’s this. GUN SAFETY. Being responsible with a weapon.

Whoever left a loaded weapon out for a kid to find and the safety was off or easily triggered needs to be punished. NOT ALL GUN OWNERS. Weapons these days are made with several safety clicks and triggers that must be pushed or pulled in order for a weapon to fire. This is why before you buy a weapon there is a class and a waiting period. People want to/need to see if you are fit to hold a weapon and own it.

This is why there are safes that people can buy with thumb print locks so no one except for the owner can get into them. This keeps people safer than the weapon itself. The safes that house a weapon. Whoever left the gun out and available for a toddler to grab instead of his shaky toy or kids book needs to stripped of their license and sent to jail. A brutal lapse in judgement that will linger in the mind for the rest of their life.

I know several cops and often go shooting with my brother in law, Brian. The first thing we always go over when we shoot is gun safety. What kind of weapon is it and where are the safeties on it? When we fire, we say “gun is hot” and fire. Upon concluding the firing, we yell to each other “gun is safe”. This has to practiced. All the time. If a weapon is not treated with the utmost respect and care, it can be a ticking timebomb for tragedy. This goes for a family owning a weapon or a single person just keeping their home safe. Guns are dangerous and once that trigger is fired, no one runs faster than the bullets that explode out of that barrel. It’s all gone then. You must know what you are shooting at, how to stop it and you must control the weapon.

The biggest misconception is thinking a gun is as easy to fire as it looks in the movies. WRONG. As a 100% movie buff, I can tell you it’s different. Much more technical and complicated. The minute you pick up a weapon, you are a different person. A deadly one. Precautions must not be passed up just because Jason Statham made it look so easy. Keep in mind the people on movie sets are taking extra care when the actors are using fake guns. Yeah, extra care even if the gun is fake because it’s still a dangerous method to partake in. Real life is real life. No action. No cut. No do overs.

It’s sad but true. Every gun shot death can teach us something. About the person who was shot or the person who fired the weapon. The aftermath has to be used for a good cause. As people in St. Louis mourn the death of a 21 month old boy, it’s important to remember who the wrong party is here. That is this particular gun owner. Not all gun owners. When it comes to gun safety and its reach, it’s all relative.

I’ve said it many times but I’ll say it again. It comes down to who pulls the trigger. Not the weapon itself. In this case, it was who left the gun out to be picked up and used for a tragic cause. Don’t blame the guns or the millions of owners across the world. Examine the particular case and work from it.

This is where logical meets illogical. Both parties will come out today. Which side are you on?