Racism is dead! Also, black man shoots son accidentally, is charged with murder.

[Robb]

ATLANTA -- The father of the 18-month-old child shot and killed by a BB gun in an Atlanta apartment complex was charged with murder on Friday afternoon.

According to Atlanta Police, the child's father, 23-year-old Jesse Sellers fired the shot on accident. Sellers will be charged with 2nd degree cruelty to children and felony murder.

11Alive's Jeremy Campbell spoke to neighbors at the Boynton Village Apartments. They said the baby, Jesstin Sellers was trembling when the ambulance arrived shortly after.

Dickerson told 11Alive's Matt Pearl that Sellers was trying to scare his young son with the BB rifle, and did not realize it was loaded. The father usually kept the gun stored away.

Read More: http://www.11alive.com/news/article/304686/40/Father-accidentally-shoots-18-month-old-son-with-BB-gun

I'll be interested to hear theories of why so much gun dumb-shittery like this gets the "Oh, it was an accident, he's been punished enough" treatment, and this guy gets the book thrown at him.

[Mr.Bill]

1. I don't know if it rises to the level of murder (need more details)

but someone who tries to scare a child with a gun, even a BB gun, is a danger to his family and society in general.

[kestrel91316]

2. Tried to scare an 18 mo??? With a gun, no less???

Worst parent in the world. Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

[Supersedeas]

14. not very smart--so do you make it a cause celebre?

[malaise]

3. Easy

He's black - still I'd throw the book at every careless gun owner

[davidn3600]

4. It's pretty typical for people to be charged for an accidental shooting, especially when reckless

Usually is plead down to something like involuntary manslaughter. But if you are playing around with a gun recklessly and it goes off killing someone....you are very likely going to prison regardless of your skin color.

[Heather MC]

5. Um if this article is correct I don't feel sorry for the Father

What kind of moron points a gun at an 18 mth old to scare him? Not everything this racist. This fool, should be punished.

[erpowers]

6. Seriously, He Deserves to be Charged

Some may disagree with me, but that guy needs to spend some time in prison. When I first saw the headline I thought maybe it was one of those situations where an older child is walking through the house and the parent shots the child thinking the child is a burglar. In this case, a father tried to scare an 18 month old child by pointing a gun at him and pulling the trigger. You are one cruel person when you would try to scare a small child with a gun. In addition, this man is too old not to know you do not point any gun, loaded or unloaded at anyone. Just about everyone that has handled a gun has been told not to point a gun loaded or unloaded a another person.

In my opinion they got the charges right. He at the least should have been charged with cruelty to a child. I also agree with the second degree murder charge. He should not have pointed a gun at his child and he should never have pulled the trigger.

[LittleBlue]

7. He was waving a gun around in a 1-year-old's face?

Murder might be too severe a charge, but he's got no sympathy from me. I cannot imagine pointing a weapon at my child.

[alittlelark]

8. ....If he were white.....

....just asking, given the large #'s of parents not charged w/ similar incidents.

[Robb]

9. This. A difficult discussion needs to be had here.

And it's only tangentially about guns.

[Arkansas Granny]

16. I think the difference here is that he purposely pointed the gun

and pulled the trigger. Maybe he thought it was not loaded, but his actions were not accidental.

That being said, I think parents whose children are killed or injured due to their negligence with firearms should be chargef with endangerment at the least and even assault, manslaughter or whatever.

[alittlelark]

17. We have seen so many stories here of those who

"thought it wasn't loaded" around their kids .... and escaped prosecution. Sadly most are NOT BB guns... but serious firearms. Sadly THIS BB gun was lethal. Generally thought of as relatively harmless - to a tot, or in the right place they are lethal.

[dsc]

18. really there is a large number of parents who point guns at 18 month old children

have them go off, and aren't charged? If there is such a large number of these cases I am sure you can find one.

[alittlelark]

19. After my sons B-Day party is over I will look.

They are all 16-18..... no guns allowed.

[Marrah_G]

10. "on accident" nice reporting.

Anyway, another responsible (bb) gun owner.

[Nye Bevan]

11. This dude got prison time for shooting a baby who recovered:

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-11-30/story/father-sentenced-accidental-2010-shooting-baby

[pintobean]

12. But, but

BB guns and raccoon hunters.

[Robb]

13. OMG a white dude went to jail one time!

Well, that makes up for everything, right, black community?

[Nye Bevan]

20. 16 years for this guy.....

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22741824/sixteen-year-sentence-childs-accidental-shooting-death-lakewood

[alittlelark]

15. Uhhhhh, the shooting was during an argument.

....what kind of 'moran' takes a gun to an argument ? The gun nutter kind.

[WeekendWarrior]

21. Good. I hope he'd be charged no matter what race he is.

Even HAVING a gun—BB or otherwise—around an 18 month old child is just dumb fuck stupid.