The world is filled with unknown events. We wake up in the morning not knowing if our day is going to go as planned. For some of us we strive on the unknown, others fear it. December 31st, 2016 was a day of unknown events for my small town in Pennsylvania. No one knew that before midnight struck and the new year would be here, that our town would lose a very important 17 year old boy. A teenage boy who was filled with so much happiness and brought a numerous amount of smiles upon his friends and families faces. He was a boy who was deeply loved and had so much potential. He was tragically shot by another boy who was only trying to scare him but instead "accidentally" shot him in the head.

The unfortunate thing about this situation is that the gunman is 15 years of age and has been a hunter for many years. Hunters, as most of you know, take hunter safety classes to know how to handle the firearm particularly for hunting. Now I know not all firearms are handle the same way but they are similar in certain aspects. Reports say that he had chambered the firearm (handgun) and placed it on the ground. Later on he picked it back up, removed the magazine and pointed it at the victim. The gunman said he was not aware that there was a bullet in the gun. Someone who takes or has taken a gun safety class or hunters safety class should know once you chamber a gun despite that you removed the magazine there will still be a bullet in the gun due to the fact that you chambered it.

This was a very tragic event. I want to make aware of some very important details about firearms and recommendations. First, I'd like to recommend that before you handle a firearm on your own, you go to a gun range or someone you know who has experience with guns that you trust to teach you how to handle a firearm. Second, if you are ever in a position where someone is planning on handing you a gun have them check to see if there is a bullet inside the chamber before handing it over. You can also do that as well as you should, if someone ever hands you a gun before anything you check to see if it is loaded. Also never rely on gun safety. Third, educate your kids and others on firearms and the dangers of handling firearms. They are great for safety if known how to use them correctly. They are not a toy. Please keep your firearms put away, locked and out of reach for the children under the legal firearm age. Guns do not kill people, irresponsible people kill people.