Nine year old son accidentally shoots himself in the face with mum’s gun

USA: The parents of a nine-year-old boy have revealed the chilling moment they realised their son had accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun that they had bought him.

In the USA there is a huge divide among parents. Some are against the sale of toy guns while others are buying the children the real thing.

New Channel 4 documentary, Kids and Guns, highlights some of the shocking stories, like the harrowing tale from the parents of nine-year-old Hank.

For nine-year-old Hank shooting was a way of life for his family. Although Hank was only nine he had already shot 14 deer and hundreds of squirrels. After saving his money, his mother brought him his own youth rifle – a gun specifically designed for children. In February 2014 while staying at the family deer camp, he went out alone to shoot and never returned.

Hank's father Brad said: “I couldn’t stop [looking for him], I gathered everybody back up at daylight, got organised and it wasn’t long before we found him.”

Hank’s mother Kelli has revealed she initially got excited when they heard news that they had found him.

She said: “My brother-in-law was the first one to walk up on him. I was riding in a vehicle with my sister and I heard Cory tell her that she had found him [Hank] and I got excited.”

“He had a little .22 [calibre pistol], a youth 22 and I had just purchased it for him. The first gun I had purchased for my son. Obviously I regret purchasing that gun."

Following a huge police and helicopter search, and with the help of the local community, Hank’s body was discovered 200 yards from the camp. Kelli and Brad believe that the gun was faulty and that the safety feature did not work as it fired accidentally when it hit the ground after Hank tripped.

Kelli said: “As Hank was crossing the creek they said his little rubber boots slipped and when he did, the butt of the gun hit the ground and when it did it went off and shot him in the forehead. They said he died instantly.”

The programme tells their compelling story in the aftermath of their son’s death. Surprisingly neither Kelli nor Brad believe in stricter gun control for children.

Kelli added: “Hank wouldn’t want kids to stop hunting.”

In America more than 3000 children are accidentally shot each year and new Channel 4 documentary Kids and Guns details the chilling stories from three American families tackling the difficult issues behind the American relationship with firearms.

The doc also looks at the horrifying statistics and why some American parents consider teaching children to shoot a fun family experience.