Objection to gun violence/accidents is not new. Note the date of the paper.
FATAL ACCIDENT
We learn that a painful accident occurred at the Rapids last Sunday,
whereby a young lad named xxxxxx lost his life through the criminal
carelessness of another boy, some fourteen years of age. According to
our informant, several boys were at play, when one taking up a gun,
pointed it a little boy saying, "I will shoot you," the little fellow
said 'no you wont;' and ran behind the boy xxxxx. The fellow then
pointing at xxxxx said I will shoot you, at the same time pulling the
trigger.
It seems there was no cap on the gun, and though the boy knew it was
loaded, he thought it would not go off. The whole charge entered the
boy's body, and he died at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
When will people learn to put firearms out of the way of children,
and when will people have a true sense of the danger there is in
carelessly handling a gun as they would a walking stick? Almost every
paper we take up, contains an account of a death from carelessness in
the use of firearms. Pointing a gun at another, whether it be loaded
or not, should be made a criminal offence, and every case prosecuted
to the full extent of the law. In no other way can the practice be
stopped.
Manitowoc Weekly Tribune, Wednesday, October 22, 1862 P. 2
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