4-Year-Old Kills Himself With Mother's Police Gun

[Hum]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- A 4-year-old boy accidentally killed himself with his police-officer mother's gun as she dropped her children off at school, police said Thursday. The gun apparently fell between the two front seats of the car as the mother leaned over to comb her daughter's hair.

The 35-year-old mother is a sergeant with the San Juan police department and her statement will be taken in more detail when she is ready, Commissioner Hilton Cordero said.

Her autistic son, Jeremy Marcano, got out of his booster seat, picked up the gun and shot himself in the face, Commander Jose Marrero Rivera told The Associated Press.

Marrero said he did not know where Brenda Lee Cotto had the gun before it fell. Police did not comment on whether the boy's autism was a factor.

The shooting occurred inside the car as the officer prepared to drop off two of her four children, Marrero said.

Her 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old toddler were in the car, but her 11-year-old son already had gotten out to buy something to eat, police said.

The Department of Education dispatched psychologists to the school to meet with students and employees.

source

[Tomo]

Why do people carry firearms around that are loaded and made ready?!? Even if she is a police officer there is no need to make the weapon ready.

[Lee G. Veteran]

So sad :no: I can't understand why the gun was loaded and made ready.

[Biotoxic_hazard_835]

Why do people carry firearms around that are loaded and made ready?!? Even if she is a police officer there is no need to make the weapon ready.

Excuse me ???? Police officers in Puerto Rico are required by law to carry their handguns and have them ready at all times and it also requires them to intervene in any situation were a crime is being committed. It is a very sad incident since an innocent life was lost to the lack of common sense on her part, she should had taken both her purse and her son together because with kids 5 seconds is all that is needed for something as serious as this to happen. May he rest in peace.

[AimLXJ]

Poor child, he haven't even grown up and yet he died so young :/

[White Cuban]

Excuse me ???? Police officers in Puerto Rico are required by law to carry their handguns and have them ready at all times and it also requires them to intervene in any situation were a crime is being committed. It is a very sad incident since an innocent life was lost to the lack of common sense on her part, she should had taken both her purse and her son together because with kids 5 seconds is all that is needed for something as serious as this to happen. May he rest in peace.

yeah but keeping it cocked is illegal.

[Tomo]

Excuse me ???? Police officers in Puerto Rico are required by law to carry their handguns and have them ready at all times and it also requires them to intervene in any situation were a crime is being committed. It is a very sad incident since an innocent life was lost to the lack of common sense on her part, she should had taken both her purse and her son together because with kids 5 seconds is all that is needed for something as serious as this to happen. May he rest in peace.

Ok so it wasn't her fault but how long does it take to c0ck a pistol? A few seconds! The British Army don't patrol around Afghanistan or Iraq with weapons that are made ready so why should the police do it in Puerto Rico?

[Richard Hammond]

Also ever heared of a safety catch?

Theres no way a 4 year old child would have been able to fiddle around with the gun and accidentally turn the safety off and shoot itself that quick.

[Deadlydread]

Some guns do not have Safeties. A Glock for instance has no safety.

[jwjw1]

yeah but keeping it cocked is illegal.

are you adding this 'assumption' to this story?...because a four year old is very capable of pulling a trigger. This is no doubt a tragedy.

[Biotoxic_hazard_835]

Also ever heared of a safety catch?

Theres no way a 4 year old child would have been able to fiddle around with the gun and accidentally turn the safety off and shoot itself that quick.

Jajajajaja by your comment I can tell you don't have small children. They can be very resourceful when curious about something and it does not take a NASA engineer to shot a 9mm gun.

[DELTETHISACCOUNT]

are you adding this 'assumation' to this story?...because a four year old is very capable of pulling a trigger.

Pulling the trigger has nothing to do with cocking it.

[Richard Hammond]

Im well aware how children are, but it wouldnt have been able to accidentally remove the safety that quick without its mother noticing, so its safe to assume the safety wasnt on, so i reiterate my original point.

Ever heared of a safety catch?

[jwjw1]

Pulling the trigger has nothing to do with cocking it.

duh! no kidding...and no where in the article did it mention her gun being 'cocked' ...so I asked if this was just an assumption. again, most any 4 year old is capable of pulling a trigger on a revolver or double action semi-auto...and guess what?...I bet they could even pull the hammer back themselves.

Revolver doesn't have a safety...and as for 'catch' it would have to be in its holster. And no police officer is going to be having a 'trigger lock' installed while on duty or carrying it off duty. Glock does now have a new Saf-T-Blok

Edited October 10, 2008 by jwjw1

[DELTETHISACCOUNT]

I bet they could even pull the hammer back themselves.

Yeah, but not without the mother hearing it or noticing. Lets just leave it alone.

[Tomo]

duh! no kidding...and no where in the article did it mention her gun being 'cocked' ...so I asked if this was just an assumption. again, most any 4 year old is capbable of pulling a trigger on a revolver or double action semi-auto...and guess what?...I bet they could even pull the hammer back themselves.

I seriously doubt a 4 year old could make a pistol ready and fire it before the mother realised. Pulling the hammer back will not fire the weapon unless there is a round in the chamber.

[White Cuban]

are you adding this 'assumption' to this story?...because a four year old is very capable of pulling a trigger. This is no doubt a tragedy.

what does that have to do with it?, yes he can pull the trigger, but cocking it (unless its some sort of revolver) would be extremely diffcult for him, i doubt a 4 year old can do that then shoot the gun.

[Digitalx]

*edit post fubared sorry.

Edited October 10, 2008 by Digix

[jackofalltrades]

So what do you guys think of the theory that she shot her son because she didn't like that he was autistic. And made a cover story.

[Roadrunna]

So what do you guys think of the theory that she shot her son because she didn't like that he was autistic. And made a cover story.

It's a crap theory because she wouldn't have done it in front of her other children.

Very sad news but can't understand why she needed a gun, ready to discharge, when just dropping her children off to school.

[Richard Hammond]

She might have been dropping the kids off on her way to work?

[Skulltrail-old]

The mother is at fault here; there is an innovative firearms feature called, the "safety" mechanism. It locks the firearm's receiver/frame to ensure the gun cannot be accidently fired. All United States police officers (not positive whether PR is considered a state, it cannot vote) are required to place their guns in safety mode when not used.

IMO, the mother should be charged for 3rd degree murder, child endangerment, and failure to handle a firearm. If she had a close handle on the gun, keeping it away from her children (or keeping it on safety) rather than leaving it under a seat in the car, her son would have probably not have killed himself.

I understand it could be sad to lose your son to your own weapon but this could obviously have been prevented. It wasn't like he took the gun from her handgun pocket. She uncarelessly left the gun somewhere in the car, he was bound to find it, become curious of was it was and pull the trigger.

Sad really... for the mom and son. She'll have a VERY hard time forgetting about this.

Edited October 10, 2008 by Skulltrail

[pjak]

So what do you guys think of the theory that she shot her son because she didn't like that he was autistic. And made a cover story.

yeah, I was thinking that... mother with four kids, felt she just could cope, kills autistic son.

It's possible... especially because he was shot in the FACE... but she could have come up with a better cover story...

[HawkMan]

Luckily it's fairly easy for the cops to find out who shotthe kid, hismother or the kid himself.

and they would allready have found out this, so no need for those theories though.

[Green_Eye]

When I was young and I mean too young to understand that it isn't a toy I got a hold of a loaded firearm except this was from a Soldier that had not buttoned up his holster properly and needless to say if it wasn't on safety someone in that very packed room would have got shot and no I'm not a psychopathic killer I just was fully certain that it was a toy at the time. Kids do stupid things.

Boy did I get the ass whooping of the century from my dad! :laugh:

May this kid RIP.

Hope the mother does not blame herself for this.