Would this boy and his mother survived 'safe storage' laws?

Oleg Volk photo

David pointed out yesterday an incident in which an 11-year-old defended his life and his mother's from armed home invaders who had already wounded the boy.

The child and his mother were hiding in a bedroom when the gunmen tried to force their way in. One of the men shot through the door, striking the boy in the groin area.

The child, who was carrying a .22-caliber rifle, shot back, hitting one of the criminals in the neck. The men fled the scene shortly thereafter, investigators said.

All three suspects have been arrested, and the boy is expected to make a full recovery. This story, by the way, describes the boy's wound as being to his hip, rather than groin--I don't know if that was just euphemism, but it certainly sounds better than the other story.

Either way, the young man is a hero, and I can't help but wonder how different the outcome would have been had this family heeded this advice:

Most kids know if their parents have guns - and they typically know where they're kept.

Where should that be?

In a secure gunsafe or lockbox - unloaded, preferably with ammunition kept in a separate lockbox.

Any other storage arrangement is foolish and dangerous.

And irresponsible.

An accident waiting to happen.

Apparently, the authors of that advice would be willing to accept this outcome.