Tot Grabs Grandma's Gun, Shoots Herself

4-Year-Old Girl In Critical Condition After Taking Handgun From Purse At Supermarket

(AP)  A 4-year-old girl shot herself in the chest Monday after snatching her grandmother's handgun from the woman's purse while riding in a shopping cart at a Sam's Club store, authorities said.

A witness, Lueen Homewood, said store workers grabbed first-aid materials off store shelves to help the grandmother as she cradled the wounded child near the store's pharmacy, The (Columbia) State newspaper reported on its Web site.

The girl was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and was recovering Monday afternoon after surgery, said police department spokesman Brick Lewis. Hospital officials would not release her condition after the operation.

Lewis said the grandmother, Donna Hutto Williamson, has a permit to carry a concealed weapon and the purse containing the small-caliber handgun was in the cart near the child. The 47-year-old Williamson, of Salley, was not immediately charged with a crime.

Williamson, a South Carolina magistrate, was distraught after the shooting, her mother-in-law said.

"The grandmother is just beating herself up," said Inease Williamson, 68. "She is just so upset. Everyone is upset."

Officials said the shooting, which was captured on store surveillance cameras, appeared to be accidental. Lewis said police would not release the video.

The store was closed while police investigated the shooting. It reopened Monday afternoon.

"Everyone at Sam's Club is deeply saddened by today's tragedy," Tara Stewart, state spokeswoman for Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the little girl and her family."

Concealed weapons permit holders in South Carolina are not allowed to carry weapons into buildings that prohibit it, or into government buildings, schools and daycare facilities, among other places.

The Sam's Club store does not have a sign prohibiting guns inside.

[erlitton]

A fully loaded pistol under the seat is a felony in SC! Ditto cusefanjapan on comments in regards to race and state!!!!!! I''m militaryand female and trained with weapons and believe in gun rights. I believe in holding my CWP too! We had a black older couple walking to their car in the Wal-Mart parking lot; husband was jumped by a black thug who had a gun demanding money; wife sneaks into car and gets the .38 out and shoots at the punk!!! Thank God they had their gun and the wife was quick thinking, otherwise this black couple could have been killed by the black thug!

[erlitton]

What does race have to do with it? Where is the maturity out here? Listening to rap...redneck? Anyone carrying a gun is either a redneck or gangster? The magistrate did not grow up in a violent environment either. I am originally from AZ, but the military moved me here. I am white and not a gangster or a redneck, but an American citizen. What we have here can happen anywhere in the US and what happened here is the result of a magistrate that failed to follow the gun safety rules that she supposedly learned in her 8 hr CWP Course. She made a poor decision and that does not fall on her race or what state she is from. We''ve had worse gun incidents, i.e. VA Tech, Columbine(sp)and state and race were not an issue as ignorance does not pick race or state.

[erlitton]

To obtain a CWP in the state of SC, you must be able to lawfully purchase a handgun and take the CWP Course; required by law; a SLED background check will be conducted. As long as you do not have any criminal issues or a dishonorable discharge from the military, one may obtain a CWP. You do not have to justify have a CWP in SC. In 1996 SC enacted a law to allow the average law abiding citizen to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun. I hold the grandmother responsible for her lack of safety; should have had her purse on her shoulder. I live in the area. News reports that her family is outdoorsey,gun safety conscious;she can''t see beneath her nose while the child is sitting getting into her purse. The video shows the grandmother pushing the cart with child in seat with purse next to her and then closing her ears when gun went off seeing the slumped over child; ignorant to allow the purse to be out of her control. The family is distraught that the grandmother is being harshly judged. She is responsible and she chose not to be safe with a loaded pistol around a 4 yr old child! The child is also a disabled child which makes matters even worse. It was decided long time ago that if businesses stopped all from carrying concealed and something happened in their business and one was not able to protect themselves because of the "sign", then they could be sued. It will be interesting to see if Wal-Mart will try to fight this long-standing decison in the law of SC. .

[usbrit-2009]

Michelle - the UK gets all the same movies and a lot of the same TV shows as the US does. They just have have the same cowboy attitude to guns as they do over here. I admit they are getting more available (ALL ILLEGALLY) but the English yobbo still prefers the personal touch (knives and boots) than the hands-off experience supplied by guns.

[usbrit-2009]

usbrit
Last time i looked the terrorist nations liked carrying weapons around more than Americans. Ever see a picture of a terrorist where he wasn''''t carrying at least an assault weapon, if not a rocket launcher?

Posted by patriot12436

OK so why is the US the only non-terrorist society that holds guns in such high esteem?

[shaggydo-2009]

More crime has been promoted by guns than prevented by them. This may not be depraved indifference but there can be no less than reckless endangerment and I know the NRA and other mindless "guns because I have the right" nuts will deny any responsiblity, but the rest of the law abiding citizens I believe have an higher right to be able to shop at SAM''s or elsewhere without fear of being harmed or killed while they''re exercising their "right" enable a 4 year old to bear arms and shoot herself or others!!I''m a Jeffersonian in that I believe your rights end where my nose begins!!!!!!!!!

[michellem99-2009]

USBrit..It is the constution of this nation. Hollywood makes a lot of movies with the gun. I was raised in homes in Maine where the gun was barred by foster Mums. I feel the way UK does. I was born in America to American parents..every day there are shootings in America. Vets thank ye. I don''t wear make up. I carry in my purse my wallet,a checkbook,a magnifier. And as a legally blind I don''t put my purse in the cart. It is on my arm at all times in a store. LADIES PUT YER PURSE ON YER ARM not in the cart.

[michellem99-2009]

I can''t blame Gramma. The grandbaby be so fast that Gramma could not stop her. I have seen a 3 year old get Foster mother purse and take her heart pills the under touge one,grab a cig . that child was in everything. The sad thing is there are trigger happy fools. parirot is right. The right to bear arms is abused. That is a right some don''t have. And don''t say other wise. Gram ye to have the safety on. No child is allowed in my purse.

[cantshutup]

well what a dolt! she may have had a permit, but she neglected to supervise her grandaughter...unless she had the purse open and the gun on top, she wasn''t watching that kid...what a tragedy for the kid and hopefully punishment for the negligent granny,.

[cantshutup]

well what a dolt! she may have had a permit, but she neglected to supervise her grandaughter...unless she had the purse open and the gun on top, she wasn''t watching that kid...what a tragedy for the kid and hopefully punishment for the negligent granny,.

[patriot12436]

cusefanjapan
I don''t know what branch you served in but i shot espert with every weapon i handled in the military. Also the one shootout i was involved in you are right most people can''t handle the adrenalin in a situation, but i didn''t miss when i shot. Unless you have been in the situation you have no idea how well you will handle it. I do not advocate everyone carry firearms, only those with qualified training and have the mindset to use it in a proper manner when the time comes. I refused to take shots after i fired one time because i couldn''t be 100% sure where my rounds would end up.

[patriot12436]

usbrit
Last time i looked the terrorist nations liked carrying weapons around more than Americans. Ever see a picture of a terrorist where he wasn''t carrying at least an assault weapon, if not a rocket launcher?

[patriot12436]

megamanx1
You are getting close to the truth. Grandma is the one responsible for this accident, not the gun. The gun doesn''t make decisions as to who is going to be shot. if grandma had a ccw then she was instructed on proper safety precautions which she ignored.

[patriot12436]

garrettco
They do not have a sportings goods section in SAMS.

[patriot12436]

cusefanjapan
What about the guy in Japan that just killed 7 people with a knife ? Now you want toban knifes as well ? Use some common sense, people kill not the instruments they use. People make a decision to commit the crime, the weapons do not. I have not used my weapon often to deter crime but i am glad it was there when i did need it.

[patriot12436]

mortal3
I don''t know where you live but in the U.S there are more crazy people and criminals running loose today than ever before. I carry for this reason. I had a guy try to hijack my car once, i drew down on him and he took off like a rabbit. I suport the right to bear arms and i am not some backwoods idiot. I am retired military and retired law enforcement. I have a college degree. I was involved in one shootout in my law enforcement career so i am not trigger happy, this was a case of making an arrest and the criminal went for his gun, leaving me no choice but to fire. It is a fact that everywhere that allows for CCW the crime rate drops dramatically.

[billorights]

How often do you actually see anyone with a permit to carry, using the thing for anything worth a ***? The NRA and anyone who argues that the right to bear arms makes any sense in todays world are all backward redneck idiots. - Posted by mortal3 at 07:56 PM : Jun 10, 2008

Actually, you would not often see anyone with a permit to carry use a gun for anything. Most incidents, by definition, would occur when there are few witnesses available, and most gun uses by CCW holders in such situations would most frequently amount to little more than brandishing the weapon to deter the aggressor. There is not much fodder there for headlines, and as we all know, any story that shows defensive gun uses by civilians is rarely published in the mainstream media.

Perhaps your chosen posture of placing your head in the sand makes you feel secure in your opinion. However, it does not change the facts.

This woman, magistrate or not, obviously made a huge error in judgment. Unfortunately, her granddaughter is now paying the price. At minimum, her CCW should be revoked. Statistically, especially among CCW holders, incidents such as this are extremely rare.

Do you not believe there was a valid reason for her permit to have been issued? As a magistrate, her duties would place her at odds with many who might wish her, or her family, harm.

[nothappyatall]

"...precious child.."

Another mouth for the planet to feed and yet another car on the road in about 13 years...

[haoli25]

Bet you NRA-types won''''t even send condolences to the family. Guns DO kill people. Posted by cusefanjapan

That is simply not true. If you throw the average handgun at a person, all you can hope for is a large knot on their head. Now if you load that gun with a .45 ACP 230 grain hollow-point, you can mess up their future Sundays. Bullets KILL people. Keep it
straight and squeeze slowly!

[lyndar2]

I certainly hope this precious child has a speedy and thorough recovery. Grandma, what were you thinking? I hope the child''s parents prevent you from having total access to her again...you have not earned the privilege.
As a magistrate, you most certainly should have a much larger sense of responsibility.