Toys and guns have always made for a precarious combination. For Years we’ve written about how accidental shootings commonly arise because kids find a gun and think its a toy . . . a problem made even worse since the gun industry in their stupidity, decided to intentionally manufacture guns that look like toys, because apparently gun manufactures enjoy dead children. (See our section: Guns that look like toys}

This next story puts an exclamation point on this problem. In Anchorage, Alaska, two children were having a pretend gun fight with Nerf guns.  Moments later, one of the children picked up a real rifle, pointed it at the other child, and pulled the trigger, killing him.  It isn’t clear wether the child thought it was a toy, or assumed it was unloaded, was angry, or just wanted to see what it felt like.  Either way, the end result is the same: yet one more dead chid lost to gun violence.

One thing is for certain: there shouldn’t have been a loaded gun sitting around in an area where children play.  But that has always been the catch 22 with guns, especially those people keep under the misguided belief that a gun confers self protection: for a gun to offer protection it needs to be accessible, But if its accessible, then you’re a bigger danger to your family than any intruder would ever be.

Wether you buy toy guns for your children or ban them from the home, one thing is for certain: you need to talk bout what they should do if they find a gun laying around.

• Don’t touch it,
• Call an adult,
• And never assume it’s a toy.

Read more on child gun safety