Such a sad tragedy for the family, and mostly for the 2-year old who will now have to live without his mother, and live with the guilt and grief when he later learns that he accidentally killed his mother, through no fault of her own. Her irresponsibility caused this, and the quote below that she was anything but irresponsible is ridiculous. To bring your loaded gun into a Walmart with your 4 children, and leaving your purse accessible to your 2-year old while your back is turned, is flat out pathetic and the exact definition of irresponsibility. This is what happens when you grant concealed carry permits to people who don't deserve one. This woman loved her guns. This is what happens when you choose to love an object that is designed to instantly kill. God bless the 2-year old son, and all the loved ones of the mother. I will not call her a victim. The only victim is the 2-year old.
2-Year-Old Fatally Shoots Mom in Idaho Wal-Mart
HAYDEN, Idaho — Dec 31, 2014, 10:18 AM ET
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated Press
Associated Press
A 29-year-old woman described as a loving mother was fatally shot by her 2-year-old son at a northern Idaho Wal-Mart in what authorities called a tragic accident.
The toddler reached into Veronica J. Rutledge's purse and her concealed gun fired, Kootenai County sheriff's spokesman Stu Miller said. The woman, who had a concealed weapons permit, was shopping Tuesday with her son and three other children in Hayden, a politically conservative town of about 9,000 people about 40 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington.
Rutledge was from Blackfoot in southeastern Idaho, and her family had come to the area to visit relatives.
She was an employee of the Idaho National Laboratory, The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington, reported. The Idaho Falls laboratory supports the U.S. Department of Energy in nuclear and energy research and national defense.
The young boy was left in a shopping cart, reached into his mother's purse and grabbed a small-caliber handgun, which discharged one time, Miller said.
Deputies who responded to the Wal-Mart found Rutledge dead, the sheriff's office said.
"It appears to be a pretty tragic accident," Miller said.
The victim's father-in-law, Terry Rutledge, told The Associated Press that Veronica Rutledge "was a beautiful, young, loving mother."
"She was not the least bit irresponsible," Terry Rutledge said. "She was taken much too soon."
The woman's husband arrived to the store in Idaho's northern panhandle shortly after the shooting around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, Miller said. All the children were taken to a relative's house.
Brooke Buchanan, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, said in a statement that the shooting was a "very sad and tragic accident." The Hayden store closed for the rest of the day.
"We are working closely with the local sheriff's department while they investigate what happened," Buchanan said.
Idaho National Laboratory senior chemical engineer Vince Maio worked with Rutledge on a research paper about using glass ceramic to store nuclear waste, The Spokesman-Review reported.
Maio said he was immediately impressed with her.
"She had a lot of maturity for her age," he told the newspaper. "Her work was impeccable. She found new ways to do things that we did before and she found ways to do them better."
There do not appear to be reliable national statistics about the number of accidental fatalities involving children handling guns.
In neighboring Washington state, a 3-year-old boy was seriously injured in November when he accidentally shot himself in the face in a home in Lake Stevens, about 30 miles north of Seattle.
In April, a 2-year-old boy apparently shot and killed his 11-year-old sister while they and their siblings played with a gun inside a Philadelphia home. Authorities said the gun was believed to have been brought into the home by the mother's boyfriend.
Idaho lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year allowing concealed weapons on the state's public college and university campuses.
Despite facing opposition from all eight of the state's university college presidents, lawmakers sided with gun rights advocates who said the law would better uphold the Second Amendment.
Under the law, gun holders are barred from bringing their weapons into dormitories or buildings that hold more than 1,000 people, such as stadiums or concert halls.
This is what happens when you choose to love an object that is designed to instantly kill.
Tragic situation for sure, not 100% sure why you chose to make this comment.
You only carry a loaded gun everywhere you go, into a Walmart for example, with your 4 kids, if you are infatuated with the object. If she was infatuated with something else, she'd be alive today. Why do you need a loaded gun in a Walmart in Idaho?
Why do you need a loaded gun in a Walmart in Idaho?
To fight tyranny?
Why do you need a loaded gun in a Walmart in Idaho?
To rob the place?
Why do you need a loaded gun in a Walmart in Idaho?
If you do, at least have the forethought to put it on safety. That's what it's for.
Why do you need a loaded gun in a Walmart in Idaho?
If you do, at least have the forethought to put it on safety. That's what it's for.
Unfortunately, for many gun owners, common sense fails many times and with tragic consequences.
You only carry a loaded gun everywhere you go, into a Walmart for example, with your 4 kids, if you are infatuated with the object. If she was infatuated with something else, she'd be alive today. Why do you need a loaded gun in a Walmart in Idaho?
Some of your statements just flat out baffle me, after the above statement it is apparent you have no clue on why any one would carry a weapon, this woman made A MISTAKE , she had a momentary lapse of reason, whatever you want to call it she broke the rule of gun safety that you ALWAYS have your weapon under your control. You never NEVER leave it unattended... I am making no judgment on her it is a tragedy that it could happen to a small child that had no idea what he was doing, but maybe it is time for all the anti gun people and all the pro gun people to start teaching gun saftey to everyone regardless of if you have a gun or not posters in stores, in sporting good ,just like say no to drugs ..... here is a great letter or article on this very subject and i think it should be a must read....
http://limatunesrang...f-an-idaho-mom/
Rydethewind, it sounds like we agree on a lot of things. I realize there are many people who have legit reasons to carry a loaded gun with them. But a mom with her 4 kids going to Walmart in Idaho? Sorry....leave it at home locked up for the afternoon. Furthermore, she made several mistakes, not just one. First was to bring it to Walmart with her 4 kids. Second was leaving it unattended. Third was not having the safety on. It sounds like they might be giving out permits to carry a concealed weapon a little too easily in Idaho. This woman is a prime example of someone who was clearly not qualified to carry a concealed weapon. But, she felt really good and powerful to have it on her. I hope it was worth it.
Rydethewind, it sounds like we agree on a lot of things. I realize there are many people who have legit reasons to carry a loaded gun with them. But a mom with her 4 kids going to Walmart in Idaho? Sorry....leave it at home locked up for the afternoon. Furthermore, she made several mistakes, not just one. First was to bring it to Walmart with her 4 kids. Second was leaving it unattended. Third was not having the safety on. It sounds like they might be giving out permits to carry a concealed weapon a little too easily in Idaho. This woman is a prime example of someone who was clearly not qualified to carry a concealed weapon. But, she felt really good and powerful to have it on her. I hope it was worth it.
+1
Rydethewind, it sounds like we agree on a lot of things. I realize there are many people who have legit reasons to carry a loaded gun with them. But a mom with her 4 kids going to Walmart in Idaho? Sorry....leave it at home locked up for the afternoon. Furthermore, she made several mistakes, not just one. First was to bring it to Walmart with her 4 kids. Second was leaving it unattended. Third was not having the safety on. It sounds like they might be giving out permits to carry a concealed weapon a little too easily in Idaho. This woman is a prime example of someone who was clearly not qualified to carry a concealed weapon. But, she felt really good and powerful to have it on her. I hope it was worth it.
Ok it is easy for you to say whatever you think on a forum but really you have no clue ok here is a woman from out of town in a strange town with her kids what better reason do you need to carry a weapon ? if you have a CCW and you do not carry your weapon then what is the point? It does you no good at home, locked in a box,up in the closet or whatever BUT!!!!! you must keep it under your control at all times... she broke that rule..... Also the gun may not have had a safety not all handguns have a manual safety some the safety's are built into the trigger like Glocks, XDM,and many others cops mostly carry Glocks with yes!!!!!! no safety so do not pass judgment on this woman for all that YOU think she is wrong for, she learned the hard way, the sad way,
Now add something to this conversation on gun safety, did you read the article I provided? Idaho requires class room and range classes to get a CCW after that there is no one to police your habits but yourself the CCW holder it is called responsibility!
I would like to have gun safety taught in school , at all ages regardless of if you have a gun or not there are almost as many guns in this country as there are people maybe it is about time to educate people instead of trying to be a arm chair quarterback or know it all lead by example not badgering .
Rydethewind, it sounds like we agree on a lot of things. I realize there are many people who have legit reasons to carry a loaded gun with them. But a mom with her 4 kids going to Walmart in Idaho? Sorry....leave it at home locked up for the afternoon. Furthermore, she made several mistakes, not just one. First was to bring it to Walmart with her 4 kids. Second was leaving it unattended. Third was not having the safety on. It sounds like they might be giving out permits to carry a concealed weapon a little too easily in Idaho. This woman is a prime example of someone who was clearly not qualified to carry a concealed weapon. But, she felt really good and powerful to have it on her. I hope it was worth it.
Ok it is easy for you to say whatever you think on a forum but really you have no clue ok here is a woman from out of town in a strange town with her kids what better reason do you need to carry a weapon ? if you have a CCW and you do not carry your weapon then what is the point? It does you no good at home, locked in a box,up in the closet or whatever BUT!!!!! you must keep it under your control at all times... she broke that rule..... Also the gun may not have had a safety not all handguns have a manual safety some the safety's are built into the trigger like Glocks, XDM,and many others cops mostly carry Glocks with yes!!!!!! no safety so do not pass judgment on this woman for all that YOU think she is wrong for, she learned the hard way, the sad way,
Now add something to this conversation on gun safety, did you read the article I provided? Idaho requires class room and range classes to get a CCW after that there is no one to police your habits but yourself the CCW holder it is called responsibility!I would like to have gun safety taught in school , at all ages regardless of if you have a gun or not there are almost as many guns in this country as there are people maybe it is about time to educate people instead of trying to be a arm chair quarterback or know it all lead by example not badgering .
I agree. Everyone in crime ridden Idaho should be armed at all times. Especially with 4 kids in a Wal Mart.
The woman, who had a concealed weapons permit, was shopping Tuesday with her son and three other children in Hayden, a politically conservative town of about 9,000 people about 40 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington.
One interesting thing I've noticed about the articles on this incident is that some of them include "a politically conservative town" included and some don't. It's a small piece of editorializing that doesn't need to be in there.
The woman, who had a concealed weapons permit, was shopping Tuesday with her son and three other children in Hayden, a politically conservative town of about 9,000 people about 40 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington.
One interesting thing I've noticed about the articles on this incident is that some of them include "a politically conservative town" included and some don't. It's a small piece of editorializing that doesn't need to be in there.
I found that to be odd. Why should it matter and who determined that demo for the town? It's Idaho, after all.
Such a sad tragedy for the family, and mostly for the 2-year old who will now have to live without his mother, and live with the guilt and grief when he later learns that he accidentally killed his mother, through no fault of her own. Her irresponsibility caused this, and the quote below that she was anything but irresponsible is ridiculous. To bring your loaded gun into a Walmart with your 4 children, and leaving your purse accessible to your 2-year old while your back is turned, is flat out pathetic and the exact definition of irresponsibility. This is what happens when you grant concealed carry permits to people who don't deserve one. This woman loved her guns. This is what happens when you choose to love an object that is designed to instantly kill. God bless the 2-year old son, and all the loved ones of the mother. I will not call her a victim. The only victim is the 2-year old.
2-Year-Old Fatally Shoots Mom in Idaho Wal-Mart
HAYDEN, Idaho — Dec 31, 2014, 10:18 AM ET
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated PressAssociated Press
A 29-year-old woman described as a loving mother was fatally shot by her 2-year-old son at a northern Idaho Wal-Mart in what authorities called a tragic accident.The toddler reached into Veronica J. Rutledge's purse and her concealed gun fired, Kootenai County sheriff's spokesman Stu Miller said. The woman, who had a concealed weapons permit, was shopping Tuesday with her son and three other children in Hayden, a politically conservative town of about 9,000 people about 40 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington.
Rutledge was from Blackfoot in southeastern Idaho, and her family had come to the area to visit relatives.
She was an employee of the Idaho National Laboratory, The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington, reported. The Idaho Falls laboratory supports the U.S. Department of Energy in nuclear and energy research and national defense.
The young boy was left in a shopping cart, reached into his mother's purse and grabbed a small-caliber handgun, which discharged one time, Miller said.
Deputies who responded to the Wal-Mart found Rutledge dead, the sheriff's office said.
"It appears to be a pretty tragic accident," Miller said.
The victim's father-in-law, Terry Rutledge, told The Associated Press that Veronica Rutledge "was a beautiful, young, loving mother."
"She was not the least bit irresponsible," Terry Rutledge said. "She was taken much too soon."
The woman's husband arrived to the store in Idaho's northern panhandle shortly after the shooting around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, Miller said. All the children were taken to a relative's house.
Brooke Buchanan, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, said in a statement that the shooting was a "very sad and tragic accident." The Hayden store closed for the rest of the day.
"We are working closely with the local sheriff's department while they investigate what happened," Buchanan said.
Idaho National Laboratory senior chemical engineer Vince Maio worked with Rutledge on a research paper about using glass ceramic to store nuclear waste, The Spokesman-Review reported.
Maio said he was immediately impressed with her.
"She had a lot of maturity for her age," he told the newspaper. "Her work was impeccable. She found new ways to do things that we did before and she found ways to do them better."
There do not appear to be reliable national statistics about the number of accidental fatalities involving children handling guns.
In neighboring Washington state, a 3-year-old boy was seriously injured in November when he accidentally shot himself in the face in a home in Lake Stevens, about 30 miles north of Seattle.
In April, a 2-year-old boy apparently shot and killed his 11-year-old sister while they and their siblings played with a gun inside a Philadelphia home. Authorities said the gun was believed to have been brought into the home by the mother's boyfriend.
Idaho lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year allowing concealed weapons on the state's public college and university campuses.
Despite facing opposition from all eight of the state's university college presidents, lawmakers sided with gun rights advocates who said the law would better uphold the Second Amendment.
Under the law, gun holders are barred from bringing their weapons into dormitories or buildings that hold more than 1,000 people, such as stadiums or concert halls.
I notice that there is no mention of the fact that she had a pocketbook designed for concealed carry, with a special zippered section to hold the pistol, which I wouldn't cal a small caliber handgun since it was a 9mm semi-auto.
Boyton, your reference to her 4 kids is also wrong. The boy was hers, but the three girls were her nieces.
Her big mistake, 2 year olds are curious, she should have had the purse on her shoulder, not in the buggy.
You own a gun and don't act responsibly with it and bad things will happen. Very sad for the child.
Kid wanted to shop at Target?
