Girl mistakes gun for Wii controller - kills herself

Cheyenne Alexis McKeehan, a Tennessee girl, aged 3, accidentally killed
herself on Sunday night, according to local police in Wilson County.
The incident allegedly occurred after she mistook a gun for a Wii
controller.

Investigators claim that the girl's stepfather,
Douglas Cronberger, had left a semi-automatic weapon on the living room
table, and that the child had mistaken it for a Nintendo Wii
controller. The child is then said to have fatally shot herself in the
abdomen. She was rushed to hospital, but pronounced dead the same night.

Real gun on top, Wii contoller on bottom




The
stepfather claims he was asleep at the time of the incident, according
to authorities. The stepfather also claims the child's mother, Tina Ann
Cronberger, was in the room with the child at the time of the incident.
The mother was supposedly sitting at the computer, just a few feet away.

The
mother has told authorities the girl might have thought she was playing
with a Nintendo Wii controller that resembled a gun. According to the
stepfather, the gun was out because he had heard a prowler and gotten
the gun out earlier that evening. He then left the gun on the table in
the living room. The gun is apparently a .380 caliber semi automatic
handgun. The gun was usually kept unloaded and in a cabinet.

The
child had been playing a Wii game. The game’s controller, according to
authorities, was shaped like a gun that looked very similar to the real
handgun. Cheyenne had learned how to use a gun from playing the Wii
game for days. The authorities claim the girl "pulled the gun off the
table and it went off."

There are no criminal charges pending,
but the sheriff's office will turn information culled in its
investigation over to prosecutors.

http://allaboutthegames.co.uk/feature_story.php?headline=Girl-mistakes-gun-for-Wii-controller---kills-herself-News&article_id=10318

What was the gun doing out with a 3 year old in the house. Why couldn't they lock it somewhere secure at least or put it somewhere out of her reach? Such a sad loss.

Thats just fuckin tragic.....

Yanks and their guns

Gris Gris wrote:

What was the gun doing out with a 3 year old in the house. Why couldn't they lock it somewhere secure at least or put it somewhere out of her reach? Such a sad loss.

thats what i was wondering

if you have a 3year old child, you dont just leave a gun laying around the house

I think the americans are so used to guns they don't see them as much of a threat at home as say the UK who require guns to be licensed and locked up. Except those of airgun status, I think those aren't regulated?

in general, the only folks who have guns in the UK are either farmers, special police and criminals!

That's such a tragedy .

Looking at the picture it's easy to see why it happened too, even I got confused which was supposed to be which.

Problem with most guns these days, the game or fake market are getting too close for comfort in replicating them.

What can you do, end the replication of guns etc or tighen the laws on holding a real gun?