Father Accidentally Shoots and Kills 14-Year-Old Son at Florida Gun Range
A father in Florida accidentally shot and killed his 14-year-old son Sunday afternoon at a gun range, PEOPLE confirms.
A statement from police in Sarasota, Florida, claims that William Brumby, 64, was also with his 24-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter at the time of the incident.
Per video and witness accounts, Brumpy fired a round and the spent shell casing struck the wall, causing it to deflect and fall into the back of his shirt.
With his right hand, which was holding the handgun, he attempted to remove the casing. While doing so, he inadvertently pointed the firearm directly behind him, accidentally fired and struck his 14-year-old son Stephen. The teen was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and later died as a result of his injuries.
Stephen's brother, David, who witnessed the tragic incident spoke to ABC and wanted to make one thing clear – their father never pointed the gun at him.
He further told ABC that Stephen, one of seven children, was very close with his family and played in the worship band at their church.
A family member created a GoFundMe page to help the family with expenses.
"He loved fishing, tennis, music, archery and knife throwing," part of the page reads. "He had an insatiable appetite to learn and was constantly sharing his wisdom with those around him."
They also described him as "a meteor that couldn't be contained."
Just a few weeks prior to the accident, the gun shop, High Noon, posted on Facebook that "properly trained kids don't have accidents," according to ABC.
The owners offered their condolences and prayers when the news outlet reached out. They also said that every safety protocol was in place.
At this time there are no charges against Brumpy. The investigation is ongoing.
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One more accident that I will never have to worry about happening to my kids or grandkids. Not because of me, anyways.
Update :
The Florida father who accidentally shot and killed his teenage son at a gun range said he brought the boy there to help him get “comfortable” with guns.
“We wanted our kids to be aware of guns,” William Clayton Brumby told CNN two days after the death of his 14-year-old son, Stephen Brumby.
“I wanted them to be comfortable around them and understand them.”
Even after the freak fatal shooting on his son, though, he refuses to blame guns for the death — instead just blaming himself.
“The gun didn't kill my boy. I did,” Brumby, 64, said.
“Every round in the gun is your responsibility. When it fires you need to stand to account for it. That's what I've spent the last two days doing, accounting for my operating error.”
Brumby brought his son to Sarasota’s High Noon Gun Range on Sunday — a ritual the father said he did himself once or twice monthly.
Police said the bullet casing from one round bounced off a wall and landed in the back of Brumby’s shirt. While trying to remove it with his hand — while still holding a pistol in it — he accidentally fired a shot that hit the ceiling and struck his son, killing him.
Brumby’s 24-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter were also at the range when the shooting happened.
Police are still investigating the incident, but said the death was accidental and have filed no charges against Brumby.
As for Brumby's views on guns now — he said they haven't changed. He still plans to keep them around the house for self-defense.
“I can’t fix this,” Brumby told CNN.
“It's just a great loss but thankfully we'll see him someday. I have a feeling he's on a great lake out there.”
The brother who saw the shooting, David Brumby, told WTSP his father wanted to teach the boys "how to be a man" at the gun range.
"It was just a complete freak accident," he said Monday.
"I cried so much yesterday that my eyes were stinging."
The Brumby family created a $10,000 GoFundMe campaign for itself after the teen's death — which, as of Tuesday morning, had nearly doubled its fundraising goal. The page says the teen was one of seven children.
Stephen Brumby "was passionate about his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and dedicated his life to sharing his hope with everyone he met," the page says.
"The families’ only comfort is knowing that He is communing with the heroes of his faith and rejoicing in paradise."
Note: The bolding is mine, to emphasize the several aspects of sheer stupidity in this incident.
I think you missed the biggest stupidity hal
Police said the bullet casing from one round bounced off a wall and landed in the back of Brumby’s shirt. While trying to remove it with his hand — while still holding a pistol in it — he accidentally fired a shot that hit the ceiling and struck his son, killing him.
Something went down the back of his shirt and he tried to fish it out with a hand that had a gun in it.
Oh I caught it - it's just a stupidity overload.
PS : Baltimore , Md. ... Lots of purposeful deaths there . This incident was a lone accident that had nothing to do with the state it occurred in .
Lol.
What a fracking idiot.
Related video (Amy Schumer hits one out of the park!).
And very funny as well :^)
the draft
Is there a draft in here?
(Or are you just glad to see me?)
BTW this video is really well done I watched it several times. There are so many subtle references to various gun-violence and gun control memes (I missed most of them the first time).
BTW this video is really well done I watched it several times. There are so many subtle references to various gun-violence and gun control memes (I missed most of them the first time).
This is a terrible tragedy. The father took his son to a reputable shooting range and in an instant his son is gone. I'm having a hard time criticizing or using this as an example to talk about gun control.
I see it as quite a bit more than a horrible accident. After the most negligent handling of a handgun that I've ever heard of, in the company of all his kids and unsuspecting strangers, his kid is killed. Then the guy doubles down on his irrational obsession with guns, by publicly claiming that he's still going to keep them around for, you know, protection. I'm sure that the brothers and sisters who just witnessed the obscenely negligent homicide of their sibling are very comforted by that thought. To top it off, he banters on about how the dead child is now in a great place enjoying himself.
Only in Florida.
Hal - I'm not disagreeing. I think the father is a dip shite for spouting off that his son is in a better place but maybe it's his way of dealing with the situation. I can't imagine what it feels like to kill one of my children because I didn't follow simple safety precautions. I'm just saying that I don't think this is an example of needing better gun control. The man wasn't a criminal. He was able to pass a background check. He was in the proper place to practice shooting. It was an act of negligence as you said along with stupid and insensitive comments from the father.
I can easily and honestly say that this is a tragedy that my kids would never have to worry about, because teaching a kid to be a man does not have to have anything having to do with guns. That is the the lesson that nobody is willing to acknowledge.
That's not the lesson. The lesson is better range discipline. This was a tragic accident.
I don't think guns make a man either but some places in America do. It's an extension of ........ well I'll leave that alone. My father taught me and my siblings how to shoot. He had a skeet shooter bolted to the top of the shed out behind the barn at the edge of the field and we'd climb up on the shed and practice shooting. Now that I think back on it, maybe that wasn't the safest set up but we sure did have fun. We also made our own bullets. My dad had molds and we'd melt down the metal and pour it in the molds. We'd also make our own fishing weights..... WoW! I had completely forgotten about some of this stuff. Sorry I got off topic.
My parents wouldn't let us have guns, thankfully. I had plenty of fun as a child without ever even thinking about guns. The family in this article doesn't need guns any more than mine did, and now they have a dead child. Based on his attitude, he's probably got at least one assault rifle in the house too.
I had a friend who liked to skeet shoot. I even went with him one time and it was fun.
Then one day he was cleaning his gun while fucked up on coke and blew his thumb off in front of his horrified wife.
Last I heard he was a border agent in Arizona for awhile and then became a cop in some redneck town.
Then one day he was cleaning his gun while fucked up on coke and blew his thumb off in front of his horrified wife.
Gun don't kill people-- Coke kills people!
teaching a kid to be a man does not have to have anything having to do with guns.
Can we also assume that your sons have not registered for the draft ? That would be the moral stance to take given your philosophy ...
the draft
Is there a draft in here?
There were three slightly deaf Englishmen on a train. Suddenly the window few open.
-The first one said "Close the window-- its windy!
-The second one said: "No its not-- its Thursday.
-The third one said: "I am too-- let's have a drink!"
the draft
Is there a draft in here?
(Or are you just glad to see me?)
teaching a kid to be a man does not have to have anything having to do with guns.
Can we also assume that your sons have not registered for the draft ? That would be the moral stance to take given your philosophy ...
then you must be in favor of confining ownership of firearms to military personnel.
teaching a kid to be a man does not have to have anything having to do with guns.
Can we also assume that your sons have not registered for the draft ? That would be the moral stance to take given your philosophy ...
As usual Petey, your comment makes no sense, what does signing up for a non-existent draft have to do with teaching your son how to act like a man?
If a kid cannot act like a man unless he knows how to handle a firearm, he's a long way from becoming a man.
(You don't have to answer that comment Petey, because your answer probably won't make any sense)
Has senility completely set in for you Jerry ? Males still are required by law to register for the draft . Females , not required . Why is that ? Also I still haven't heard back from Hal . I guess he doesn't know how to answer my question ...
Yes, Petey - you are an idiot. See, I do know how to answer your question.
Thanks for demonstrating you fundamental immorality Hal . Snark does not cover that fact . The simple fact that you did not get involved in military service is part of your problem . Not only do you avoid the responsibility of military service yourself but you encourage those actions for everyone else . That makes you extremely immoral and irresponsible
Has senility completely set in for you Jerry ?
No, senility is still around the corner for me. How is it like Petey? Seems like you've had it all your life.
Males still are required by law to register for the draft .
I was thinking we didn't still have the draft system. It was 59 years ago when I registered, and we have not used the draft since 1973.
Females , not required . Why is that ?
The Senate has passed a proposed reform for the draft that will require females to register. [ NY Times article ]
Also I still haven't heard back from Hal . I guess he doesn't know how to answer my question
He answered you. (I was going to say the same thing)
I see it as quite a bit more than a horrible accident. After the most negligent handling of a handgun that I've ever heard of, in the company of all his kids and unsuspecting strangers, his kid is killed. Then the guy doubles down on his irrational obsession with guns, by publicly claiming that he's still going to keep them around for, you know, protection. I'm sure that the brothers and sisters who just witnessed the obscenely negligent homicide of their sibling are very comforted by that thought. To top it off, he banters on about how the dead child is now in a great place enjoying himself.
I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing at all-- in fact, the guy should be nominated for a Darwin Award:
In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species' chances of long-term survival.
A Darwin Award? Not really, he had to have killed himself to qualify.
Anyway, for sure he won't get rid of his guns, but he does have six more kids to knock off.
Anyway, for sure he won't get rid of his guns, but he does have six more kids to knock off.
Well, he may or may not want to help make the word a better place-- its his choice!
I'm having a hard time criticizing or using this as an example to talk about gun control.
If this William Brumby asshole was not of a mindset that it takes knowing how to handle a firearm in order to make his son feel like a man, the kid would still be alive. It doesn't take a gun to make a kid feel like a man, if you can't feel like a man without a gun in your hands, you're not a man.
Playing with guns is dangerous, not being able to control a pistol 101% of the time it is your hands, makes you dangerous person with a dangerous instrument in your hands.
The asshole got a hot shell in his shirt, if he was adequately and sufficiently trained to handle that pistol, his finger would have instinctively moved away from the trigger before and as he moved to free himself from the hot shell.
Playing with guns is dangerous, especially if you're not properly trained to handle the weapon at all times .
According to the CDC , in 2013 there were 786 non-police deaths due to accidental discharge or firearms-use with "undetermined intent". A fact that seriously questions the argument that, with the exception of police and military personnel, firearms are safe in the hands of any other "properly trained" people.
I'm having a hard time criticizing or using this as an example to talk about gun control.
Well do you really want to understand what's going on here? (If you don't-- well, there's nothing wrong with that). But if you want to know, here's an excellent explanation:
This would be something like if the dad took the kid out to play baseball with him , but instead of hitting the ball with the bat , the dad swung and hit the kid in the head with the bat and killed him.
Exact comparison. Except the baseball bat thing never happens.
Exact comparison. Except the baseball bat thing never happens.
When someone is swinging a baseball bat around people instinctively move out of the way. I'm sure those kids felt comfortable that their father was able to safely handle the gun he was holding, or they would have been in another room.
Btw, try having a hot shell casing fall into the back of your shirt when you're at batting practice.
Not an "exact comparison".
It happens.
In a tragic accident that has left a Kansas community in mourning, a bat boy hit in the head by a player taking practice swings Saturday has died of his injuries. Kaiser Carlile, 9, was a well-loved part of the Liberal Bee Jays, a summer league team for college players.
It happens.
Ok, so it happens.
But trying to fish a hot shell casing from your shirt with a gun the same hand.
Too bad he didn't shoot himself in the ass.
Btw, just under the below "Tags" line (we are still not able to post tags, another undone update) it that shows there are two people online (Buzz and Krishna), however the "Who's Online" chat room, shows there are 8 people online (you can't be in the Chat Room unless you're online). It seems like something is wrong there.
The note also show we have 27 'visitors'. What, if anything, is being done to induce those 'visitors' to join NewsTalkers?
OMG ! If these are your biggest problems in life you are one lucky man ! Stop the whining already !!!
OMG ! If these are your biggest problems in life you are one lucky man ! Stop the whining already !!!
I'm not "whining" about anything. The site is going to shit and nothing is being done about it. Perrie thinks all the things we can no longer do around here is not a problem.
When was the last time were you able to send a welcome message to a new member? When was the last time you have been told we have a new member join us?
Can you send a simultaneous message to all members of a group?
When was the last time you received a message someone posted a new article in any of the groups you are a member off?
I'm not whining, I'm trying to bring some of the shortcomings and malfunctions to the attention of the members.
A group administrator can now send a message to the whole group. Beside the icons at the top right corner of the group page is an icon of a pen. Click that and you get a window for sending a group message.
A group administrator can now send a message to the whole group.
Hurry! Progress!
I didn't know that.
I just tried it, and it works. How did you find out about that, did Perrie post an article or something?
We still need to be notified about new members.
I think that function is in your settings under notifications. I used to get them all the time, until they drove me nuts and I turned it off... I can't seem to handle 60 private notes a day, plus 40-50 emails at home...
Me too. I only kept messages from group administrators and replies to my comments. I think I might get notice of articles posted on the two groups I administer as well, but can't remember and besides almost nobody posts articles on Classic Cinema or Canada groups except me anyway. My whole email page would fill up with notifications for everything under the sun so I had to cut back as well.
Hey Jerry,
"How did you find out about that, did Perrie post an article or something?"
No. I knew it was the only way to keep my groups alive so I kept badgering Perrie about it for months until we finally got it.
By the way, which group did you send a message out on? I didn't get your message and I should be getting messages sent by that system.
No. I knew it was the only way to keep my groups alive so I kept badgering Perrie about it for months until we finally got it.
I'm sorry I didn't get back to you on this. I've been off line most ot the time lately and haven't kept up with what's going on around here.
It's good that other people are calling for some of the features we lost with launching of the 'New NewsTalkers'. I thought I was the only one being a pain in the ass about this stuff.
By the way, which group did you send a message out on? I didn't get your message and I should be getting messages sent by that system.
I actually did not send a message, I just checked some of my groups and saw the multi-message system is in place.
With the waning interest in anything other than the American election and gun crimes the group message system isn't particularly effective anyway.
I used to get them all the time, until they drove me nuts and I turned it off... I can't seem to handle 60 private notes a day, plus 40-50 emails at home...
The only way you're going to receive 40- 50 notices a day is if you're getting the worthless "Likes/Dislke" notices. You can adjust what notices you want to receive, and set whether you want a Private Notice or an email. I don't understand 40-50 notices.
What we need in there is a notice that tells us when we get a new member.
What we really need is new members.
"What we need in there is a notice that tells us when we get a new member.
What we really need is new members."
Absolutely, a welcome email like you had been sending must be appreciated by the new members and makes them feel more at home on this site.
I appreciated my new member message from Jerry.