While news stories about youth and guns usually involve death or injury, some Hoosiers believe that when young people learn to use firearms safely, they can gain responsibility, bond with their families, and have some fun. In the introduction to our four-part series, Peter Shirley, 18, brings us an overview of the legal limitations for minors in Indiana when it comes to guns, and the ways youth are using guns within these boundaries.
More from Y-Press
Hunting
(03:24)
From: Y-Press
For teens, hunting can be a right of passage and a way to bond with family members. Allison Albrecht, 13, speaks with two teen hunters from Central Indiana.
Target Shooting
(03:26)
From: Y-Press
Indiana youth can attend a 4-H shooting sports program or a conservation camp with the Department of Natural Resources to learn gun safety and how to shoot. But at an ...
Guns at Home
(03:31)
From: Y-Press
Last month In Florida, 17-year-old Thorin Montgomery and three friends were playing Russian Roulette with a .38 caliber revolver on his back porch. Montgomery had his turn, ...
DNC Coverage: Social Media in the 2012 Election
(02:54)
From: Y-Press
What impact will social media have on this election? To find out, Y-Press journalist Isaiah Treadwell visited the Digital Campaign and Social Media's Impact Conference in ...
A. J. Feeney-Ruiz and Hispanic Youth Voters
(02:18)
From: Y-Press
At the RNC, Y-Press’ Hrishi Deshpande spoke with AJ Feeney-Ruiz. A young Puerto-Rican American, Feeney-Ruiz is a Republican candidate for the Indiana state legislature.
Victims
(04:18)
From: Y-Press
The emergency room at Indianapolis' Wishard Hospital sees its fair share of gun shot victims, both teenagers and adults. Y-Press visited Wishard to learn about programs for ...
Teens and Illegal Guns: Local Solutions
(03:42)
From: Y-Press
The problem of gun violence among teens and young adults isn’t exclusive to Indianapolis. But it turns out that the way the city is tackling the problem is unique. Y-Press ...
Teens and Illegal Guns: Attitudes and Uses
(03:38)
From: Y-Press
Priya Mirmira, age 15, spoke with 18-year-old inmates who were serving time for gun charges. She learned about their attitudes toward guns, how they used them, and whether ...
Teens and Illegal Guns: Access
(03:38)
From: Y-Press
In a 2009 survey by the CDC, nearly 1500 Indiana high school students said they had carried a gun for at least one day during the previous 30 days. Y-Press journalist Andy ...
Teens and Illegal Guns: Overview
(03:37)
From: Y-Press
In the last decade in Indiana, about 130 murders were committed by teens, and 79 percent of those involved a firearm. After a Y-Presser lost her cousin to a gunshot, Y-Press ...
Related Pieces
Piece Description
While news stories about youth and guns usually involve death or injury, some Hoosiers believe that when young people learn to use firearms safely, they can gain responsibility, bond with their families, and have some fun. In the introduction to our four-part series, Peter Shirley, 18, brings us an overview of the legal limitations for minors in Indiana when it comes to guns, and the ways youth are using guns within these boundaries.
Broadcast History
WFYI (90.1 FM) Indianapolis, August 20, 2012 during Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
Transcript
Morrigan: One of my first guns I ever used. It’s an M-4 carbine and it’s pink. My dad does custom designs on them, so he’ll change out what the stock color is and everything else.
Morrigan Sanders (MORE-eh-gen SAN-ders) is a 14-year-old from Greenwood. Since she was 9, she has been target shooting with the pink, M-4 gun her father built for her. She says–shooting isn’t hard.
Morrigan: When I first started it, I was a little nervous ‘cause you pull the trigger and it goes boom and it hits against your shoulder, but you do get used to it. You learn to take the shock, and it’s very comfortable.
Morrigan (MORE-eh-gen) says that her friends think having guns at home is normal. But they don’t talk about them much, because they consider gun ownership a private matter.
According to local police–-and juvenile inmates, it’s easy for teens to buy guns illegally on the street. But lega...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:When you hear the words “teenagers” and “guns” in the same sentence, you probably think tragedy: for example, the five teens who were shot this spring on the Indianapolis Canal.
Although crimes and accidents make the news, other teens in Indiana use guns legally. Eighteen year-old Peter Shirley reports.
OUTRO:Y-Press is an Indianapolis-based youth-media organization focused on reporting teen and pre-teen perspectives. To learn more, and listen to more stories about teens and guns, visit www.ypress.org.
Additional Credits
Carmela Verderame, 12, contributed to this piece. Editorial oversight by Andrea Muraskin and Lynn Sygiel, with help from Madelyn Morgan. This report was produced in collaboration with Marianne Holland at WFYI (90.1 FM) Indianapolis.
Related Website
