Minor dies as cousin pulls trigger accidentally
PHOTO: FILE
An eight-year-old boy lost his life reportedly after his minor cousin fired a gun mistakenly while playing with the firearm in Kahna on Monday.
The victim, identified as Maan, was playing with a handgun in his home in Kahna along with his cousin. Reportedly, a bullet was fired accidentally. It hit the victim into his chest. The minor received a serious bullet injury. It proved fatal and claimed the boy’s life.
The victim was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. A police team removed the body to morgue for autopsy, collected forensic evidence from the crime scene and recorded statements of the eye-witnesses.
Police said the initial investigations suggested it was an accident. Further investigations into the matter were underway.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani has taken notice of the incident. He asked Lahore CCPO and SP Model Town to submit a report earliest.
In October this year, a similar incident had claimed the life of a minor in the same police limit, Kahna. Reportedly, Umar, 15 was playing with a handgun while his sister Mehwish, 10 was sitting around. He mistakenly fired a bullet that hit the victim. The bullet injury claimed her life.
On Sunday night, a 10-year-old girl was killed and two other women were left injured in an incident of aerial firing during a wedding ceremony in Wandala area of Sheikhupura. The ceremony was going on when a few youths resorted to aerial firing. A volley of stray bullets hit a minor and two other women. The incident claimed the minor’s life.
Firearms experts suggest many precautions for gun-keeping because guns claim life. These are very basics fundamentals of gun-keeping protocols, lest set aside the debate of licensed and illegal weapon.
A lack of training in gun handling, people are seen carrying guns without proper locking them, aiming unconsciously on people around while a finger on the triggers. Another dangerous trend is shooting a gun with one hand.
Owing to a lack of knowledge and precautions a large number of gun-related accidents make headlines every other day. Videos of a few of these have made rounds on social media. In one such case, an infant subjects his father to fatal injury, an injury on the chest, causing his death. Father has just put his handgun on a chair adjacent to the minor after aerial firing and indulges in chit chat around. The infant out of curiosity picks it up and unknowingly puts his finger on the trigger. The bullet is fired claiming the life of an adult young man and turning celebrations into mourning.
In another case, one youth just takes a break after aerial firing to reload a handgun, the other reaches near him. The handgun is aimed towards the one arriving; a bullet is fired and hits the youth in the head.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2020.