By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
A 44-year-old Washington state man was arrested in the community of Lynnwood after his 4-year-old son reportedly took a loaded handgun from him while he slept on the couch, and accidentally shot his mother in the arm, the Seattle Times reported.
It is a case which will put a spotlight on Washington’s “safe storage” legislation, because investigators reportedly found several loaded, unsecured firearms in the residence. According to KOMO News—the ABC affiliate in Seattle—the man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on charges of reckless endangerment and unlawful storage of a firearm.
Public reaction brought more than 170 comments from KOMO viewers as the station’s website, while the Times turned off reader ability to comment on the story online.
While the mother was seriously wounded, published reports say the wound was not life threatening. She was taken to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
Washington State law is specific about firearms storage. It became law with passage of gun control Initiative 1639 in November 2018. The sweeping law, which is being challenged in federal court, created several restrictions on gun owners.
Within the language of the law is a definition of “unsafe storage” which details”
(1) A person who stores or leaves a firearm in a location where the person knows, or reasonably should know, that a prohibited person may gain access to the firearm:
(a) Is guilty of community endangerment due to unsafe storage of a firearm in the first degree if a prohibited person obtains access and possession of the firearm and causes personal injury or death with the firearm; or
(b) Is guilty of community endangerment due to unsafe storage of a firearm in the second degree if a prohibited person obtains access and possession of the firearm and:
(i) Causes the firearm to discharge;
(ii) Carries, exhibits, or displays the firearm in a public place in a manner that either manifests an intent to intimidate another or that warrants alarm for the safety of other persons; or
(iii) Uses the firearm in the commission of a crime.
Seattle’s KIRO News said the youngster and a 9-year-old sibling were released to family members following the incident.
