From JaCo prosecutor's office: Jackson County Prosecutor Jim Kanatzar today announced that Billy J. Blood (06/29/82) has been charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Armed Criminal Action. The charges stem from a Sept. 29 incident in which a 4-year-old got a gun out of Blood's purse and fatally shot himself herself.
According to court documents, the mother of the victim was visiting Blood for the weekend. Blood had just entered the home and put her purse containing a .22 cal. handgun on a table when the toddler apparently got the gun out of the purse. While handling the gun, it discharged, sending a single bullet into the child's head. The child was later pronounced dead.
During questioning Blood told police that she had owned the gun about two years and that she did not have a permit for it. A warrant charging Blood was issued on Oct. 23, but she was not taken into custody until today.
I hope she's smiling as wide when she gets but in the cell with Big Bertha. @sshole!
Posted by: Ni | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 03:12 PM
"Girl, 4, shoots himself in the head -- gun owner charged"
What's wrong with that sentence?
Posted by: Sid Vicious | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 03:34 PM
Sorry, sorry, just got it fixed. - jrh
Posted by: James Hart | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 03:36 PM
Permit? What kind of permit was she required to have? Concealed carry permit?
Posted by: CB | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 04:10 PM
With any luck this woman will get Judge Daugherty.. who will blame the child and let her go.
Posted by: DKC | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 05:17 PM
You don't need a "permit" to have a gun. If you carry it concealed you do, but that wasn't the issue here.
Posted by: | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 05:29 PM
Hand slap for the little lady.
Posted by: Biggin | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 05:59 PM
Hand slap? She leaves her gun around for her kids to play with and she needs her hand slapped,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
good grief and let me guess you voted for Obama.
Posted by: 146 | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 07:01 PM
To clarify, it was not her kid, she doesn't need a permit to have a loaded firearm in a residence, and any decent lawyer will eliminate criminal charges by the end of the week. All of you goodie goodies "looking out for the children" need to realize this was accidental. Next time you rear end or pull out in front of someone on the highway, perhaps the individual on the other end will feel as you do in this situation. Good luck.
Posted by: Chemcounter | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 09:36 PM
She isn't charged with having a gun without a permit - she is charged with child endangerment. Although it's true she didn't need a permit to have the gun, she is still required to not leave it laying around where a child can get ahold of it.
She would be charged with child endangerment if she left any other obviously dangerous item within reach of a child.
Posted by: winkyb2me | Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 08:06 AM
I am not comfortable with charging someone with criminal thoughtlessness or stupidity.
How about the folks who made her so irrationally afraid of the world about her that she so casually carried a dangerous weapon?
How about the folks who dismiss the statistical evidence that you and your family and friends are acutally SAFER if you do not have a handgun? (For reasons that this event makes obvious.) Or who think that requiring a firearm safety course as a precondition to owning a handgun is an unreasonable infringement on our "rights"?
HELLO! Deadly weapon, not fashion accessory! Who were you planning to shoot? The dangerous, anonymous villain of your Limbaugh-fueled imagination? How'd that work out?
Posted by: KC Cicero | Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 08:59 AM
The story reads- She entered the home & set the purse containing the gun on the table.
So yes she was out carring a concealed weapon. No proper training is what lead to this. You can pretty much bet she has never taken the time to get a CCW or any of the training that goes along with it.
She Blood is to blame, no question about it.
My hand gun is locked & put away when I entering the house. I have a few Mossberg Deffender's placed around the home. I have two kids, they know where they are. They also have watched me shoot, they know what they can do. My son is now 6, he has started his firearm training. As I did too.
Posted by: JewwellsP | Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 10:44 AM
This story is eerily similar to another story, recently. Same circumstances. Child picks up a gun; shoots self in head; adults nearby and shocked.
I wonder about these cases. I think it could be yet another way to murder.
Posted by: SG | Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 11:37 AM