Tyler's Law

[scorpionmain]

12-year-old boy's death spurs pursuit of gun safety laws

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WYMT/WSAZ) -- What started off as a relaxing Labor Day holiday ended in a horrific life-changing event for one family.

A 12-year-old boy was found dead near his home in Wayne County, West Virginia with a gunshot wound to the head, the gun laying nearby. Tyler Blankenship took the gun from a family member's home; it was accessible and loaded.

His family is pushing for new laws to make sure this never happens again.

Tyler's family was shocked to discover West Virginia doesn't have a law forcing gun owners to secure their guns. So, they're pushing for one called Tyler's Law, hoping their son's death will save a life.

“He was always joking around," said Tyler's mother Angela Leedy. "We'd always get in water fights. He'd jump out and scare me and think that was the funniest thing.”

Like many mothers, Leedy can't stop raving about how wonderful her son was. Tyler was the apple of his mother's eye -- right down to the last moment she spent with him.

“He smiled and I asked him how his day went, and he loved his hair," Leedy said. "He always liked his hair. He asked how I liked his hair and I said, "It looks good.' ”

Several hours later, Tyler was found dead from the gunshot. Rumors immediately started swirling that Tyler committed suicide -- the victim of bullying at school.

“Did he ever complain about being bullied or about kids picking on him?” WSAZ.com's Carrie Cline asked.

“No," Leedy responded. "He wanted to go to school. I had to make him stay home when he was sick because he wanted to go to school. If you're bullied, you don't want to go to school. He wasn't depressed, showed no signs of suicide. He finished his homework Friday. If he was feeling that way, he wouldn't care about anything.”

“We have our own theory about it, and we'd like the detectives to look into it,” said Fred Leedy, Tyler’s stepfather.

The Leedys believe it was an accident -- a child playing with a loaded gun and an accidental shooting. Regardless of what led to Tyler's death, there's no disputing the fact that he was able to gain easy access to a loaded gun at a family member's home.

That's why the Leedys have started a petition and crusade for Tyler's Law -- to force gun owners to lock their guns.

“We're not against guns," Fred Leedy said. "We just want people to be safe. Lock up your guns. Even if you teach your kids not to touch guns, kids will be kids. Don't give them a chance to make the same mistake Tyler made."

Tyler's biological father, James Staley, is a gun advocate who routinely took Tyler hunting. But, he always practiced safety first and is pleading for others to do the same.

“If that's what it would take and we could at least save one life to prevent someone from going through something like this,” Staley said.

The Leedys plan to present their petition to U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., hoping for a change.

We spoke with family members of the home where Tyler took the gun. They said they were concerned about crime, and the gun was out for protection.

You can sign the petition for Tyler's Law online here:
http://www.causes.com/actions/1684410

http://www.wkyt.com/wymt/home/headlines ... 96516.html

[scorpionmain]

Watch out for this one.
It is gaining traction.
Speak out now against this!

[scorpionmain]

Comment against this on the petition page:
http://www.causes.com/actions/1684410

[Till]

I'm from that area and blankenships are my cousins.

That's probably my cousin. I don't really keep in contact with them obviously.

Man I remember my grandpa teaching me to shoot our .22 when I was like 6!! I remember going over all the safety rules like 20x a day!

Heh good times

[Mike]

"Mike's Law".....Teach your kids what a real firearm is early in life so they don't go picking a real one up one day and shooting someone.

[ChickenLady]

"Mike's Law".....Teach your kids what a real firearm is early in life so they don't go picking a real one up one day and shooting someone.

This?


Also... Keep the guns out of kids reach? All of ours but our carry guns and the bedside shotgun are in the safe. Once Lucille gets old enough I will be putting our carry guns in a lockbox of some sort next to the beds when we aren't using them.

Sounds like these parents should have been practicing what they preached BEFORE this ever happened.

[WLJ]

Am I wrong in thinking they're asking for a law to protect them from themselves?

Anyway

If my carry gun is not on me it's in this, paid $80 for it at Target.

[jackalo626]

Common sense is the law to put guns away from kids. Sorry about your child but you let this happen to him and not I. I dont need a new law to tell me what an adult should already know.

[Mike]

Gun vault. Holds my two or three carry guns and is quick to access in the dark if need be. Everything else is in a safe of some sort.

[Rem700]

Common sense is the law to put guns away from kids. Sorry about your child but you let this happen to him and not I. I dont need a new law to tell me what an adult should already know.

Agreed Jack. My guns are all locked up. Except for the nightstand gun, which stays far out of reach of my kids during the day. I dont need any new laws to confirm my common sense about keeping guns away from kids.

[Rem700]

O and BTW if by some chance (and I hope to GOD this never happens, but with my own safety precautions it shouldnt) one of my kids does find a gun ands shoots themselves. The only person I will blame is myself because it would be my fault for not properly securing my guns and not teaching enough saftey.

However in this case the kid was 12. Old enough to know they arent toys, etc. Also he had been hunting before which tells me he had a certain knowledge of guns. So maybe it was a suicide and the parents just didnt see or chose to ignore the warning signs. IDK for sure, but it seems it may not have been just an accident and it is wrong of them to try and punish the rest of us with a new law to try and make of for their mistake. Everybody wants to find someone to blame other than themselves.

[Rem700]

I can understand them advocating gun safety, but to try and impose a new law is ignorant and irresponsible IMO.

[WLJ]

aka It's not our fault, it's the govt's fault because they don't have a law to tell me to do, or not, something.

These are the same people why we have "do not use while bathing" warnings on a weed wacker. Or run a red light/stop sign, get T-boned in the process and then sue the other driver thus rise everybody's insurance to cover their stupidity.

[Frailer]

I make the rules in my house. The government can stay the hell out.

What if this young man had killed himself with carbon monoxide in the garage? Would we pass a law requiring all car keys to be kept in locked boxes?

[WLJ]

I'm really getting fed up with this no responsibly BS. Got hit by a car when I was younger, screwed up my right side and left the right leg twisted a bit and shorter than the other, couldn't walk for almost a year, still limp. You would not believe how many people thought I was crazy to not to sue. It was my fault people! I couldn't live with myself suing someone for something that was 100% my fault.

[JustShootIt]

Simply stated:

[Rem700]

^^^im not convinced there is enough to fill a whole department

[Niceguy]

Guns were always in reach at my house growing up and I knew even at 5 or 6 to NEVER touch them without permission. Anytime I asked I even as a very young kid I was given permission to handle them and instruction on how to handle them. They were never something that was off limits, but always something with rules to go with them. My dad died when I was 12 and guns were all turned over to me, were in my room and my responsibility. My mother had nothing to do with them but knew my dad instilled enough knowledge and respect in me to know I wouldn't do stupid shit with them. I was a MAJOR hoodlum kid from 12-18 yet I still never thought about doing stupid stuff with guns. I think it's all about being taught about firearms and having respect instilled from the time your old enough to know what a gun is. Just my opinion...