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Grandma heartbroken after toddler grandaughter shoots herself in Sam's Club Store

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A 4-year-old girl shot herself in the chest Monday after snatching her grandmother's handgun from the woman's purse while riding in a shopping cart at a Sam's Club store, authorities said.

A witness, Lueen Homewood, said store workers grabbed first-aid materials off store shelves to help the grandmother as she cradled the wounded child near the store's pharmacy, The (Columbia) State newspaper reported on its Web site.

The girl was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and was recovering Monday afternoon after surgery, said police department spokesman Brick Lewis. Hospital officials would not release her condition after the operation.

Lewis said the grandmother, Donna Hutto Williamson, has a permit to carry a concealed weapon and the purse containing the small-caliber handgun was in the cart near the child. The 47-year-old Williamson, of Salley, was not immediately charged with a crime.

Williamson, a South Carolina magistrate, was distraught after the shooting, her mother-in-law said.

"The grandmother is just beating herself up," said Inease Williamson, 68. "She is just so upset. Everyone is upset."

Officials said the shooting, which was captured on store surveillance cameras, appeared to be accidental. Lewis said police would not release the video.

The store was closed while police investigated the shooting. It reopened Monday afternoon.

"Everyone at Sam's Club is deeply saddened by today's tragedy," Tara Stewart, state spokeswoman for Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the little girl and her family."

Concealed weapons permit holders in South Carolina are not allowed to carry weapons into buildings that prohibit it, or into government buildings, schools and daycare facilities, among other places.

The Sam's Club store does not have a sign prohibiting guns inside.

Credit: KATRINA A. GOGGINS – 4 hours ago

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How this could have been prevented? Why did the grandmother leave the gun near the child in the first place? This is truly a tragic accident, I cannot imagine the grief at this time. My prayers and well wishes go out to the family and the little girl.
jubal

9 responses // Grandma heartbroken after toddler grandaughter shoots herself in Sam's Club Store

  • This story is a downer in the worst kind of way. My heart sank as I read through the article expecting the worst. Fortunately the little girl is at least still alive (although in unknown condition). I can only hope that she will make a recovery.

    Now for the soap box. People do not need hand guns. I hate to say it but only tragedy ever seems to come of it, and unfortunately this is a perfect example of this.
    M_Pavlov
    3 responses to this
  • http://current.com/items/89012608_blasting_holes_in_the...
    "From my cold dead hands."
    -says Charlton Heston
    CarlosIsDown
    1 response to this
  • This is tragic and just the reason why
    there shouldn't be laws that permit concealed handguns..

    What the heck was the Grandmother thinking?

    Little kids NORMALLY get into everything!

    Very tragic, very sad..I too will remember this family in my prayers....
    PatrickEdwardMurray
    1 response to this
  • Oh this is horrible. Simply HORRBLE. Our innocent children are suffering from our country's dependence upon guns!!!!!!

    Are we REALLY sick and tired of all of this gun violence that we see? I know I am. As an activist for a less violent world, the way I see it is that we have a great deal of work to do in order to reduce all of this gun violence and it's not going to happen unless we take action and take it NOW.

    What should we do? well whoever is serious and wants to actually do SOMETHING instead of nothing, the first step on the ladder begins in our very own homes, the second in our classrooms, via non-violence/conflict resolution classes.

    We need to educate our children on how to treat one another with respect, understanding and tolerance and we need a complete mindset change as we relate to relying upon guns and for that matter ALL lethal weapons to solve our problems and our differences. We need to replace lethal weapons with less than lethal weapons until guns filter down to where they become merely objects to be found in history books and collections. This is the ONLY way less people will be maimed and/or killed and our future generations will be able to perpetuate this beautiful planet that we so cherish.

    If I could re-write the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, this is precisely what I would love to see:

    "We, the people of the United States, in order that we shall have the right to preserve a State free for all races, shall achieve this end by the use of less-lethal weaponry only for our continued survival as human beings. This free State entails our personal self-defense as well as our right to our food consumption. In keeping with current government law, if we so choose to possess a less-lethal weapon (be it either upon our persons or within our private homes), we are obligated to store these aforementioned weapons plus any ammo relating to its use in a manner which will serve to protect the welfare of a minor child."
    badthing

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