Image by: Keenen Brannon, Y-Press

Sam, 2012

Guns at Home

From: Y-Press
Series: Youth and legal uses of guns
Length: 03:31

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, and shot himself in the head. But not every kid who has access to guns at home uses them recklessly. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Guns at Home
From: Y-Press

Sam_thumb_small 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, and shot himself in the head. But not every kid who has access to guns at home uses them recklessly. Keenen Brannon, 18, spoke with three Indiana youth whose parents have instructed them in how to use guns at home, for protection.

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Piece Description

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, and shot himself in the head. But not every kid who has access to guns at home uses them recklessly. Keenen Brannon, 18, spoke with three Indiana youth whose parents have instructed them in how to use guns at home, for protection.

Broadcast History

WFYI (90.1 FM) Indianapolis, August 23, 2012 during Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

Transcript

When it comes to young people, there are specific laws for handling guns. Generally, local police advise that if kids happen to come into contact with a gun, they should leave it alone and call an adult immediately.

However, some parents allow their kids and teens to use guns on hunting trips or at shooting ranges, but forbid home access. Other parents want their children to know how to operate guns around the house in case of an emergency, to protect themselves and their siblings, if necessary.

SAM: My name is Sam, and I have two little brothers and then I have three sisters.

Sam is 17 years old and lives in Speedway in an area that’s usually quiet. He grew up with guns around his house. To protect identities, Sam and other minors’ last names have been omitted.

Sam’s father taught him how to shoot when he was 7 years old.

SAM: If the situation ever arose, that whether we were...
Read the full transcript

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

In Florida in July, 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, and shot himself in the head. But not every kid who has access to guns at home uses them recklessly. Keenen Brannon, 18, has this story.

OUTRO:

Y-Press is an Indianapolis-based youth-media organization focused on reporting teen perspectives. To learn more, and to hear more stories about teens and guns, visit www.ypress.org.

Additional Credits

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.