3YR Old shot mother to death, father law enforcement.

[Deleted]

The wife of a Wilson County Sheriff’s Office deputy was shot to death Saturday at their Lebanon home by a 3-year-old who gained access to a gun at a family cookout, police said.

Josephine G. Fanning, 48, was pronounced dead at the home at 6710 S.E. Tater Peeler Road, according to the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.

The shooting occurred after Wilson County Deputy Daniel Fanning was with another relative looking at guns in a bedroom of the home, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The 3-year-old and Josephine Fanning walked into the bedroom where a loaded weapon was on top of the bed, TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said. The child gained access to the gun and fired one round, which killed Josephine Fanning.

Daniel Fanning was off-duty at the time of the shooting.

It wasn’t immediately known if the gun used by the 3-year-old was a personal or service weapon, Helm said. The 3-year-old was a relative of Daniel and Josephine Fanning, police said.

The TBI will continue investigating and turn over its findings to the district attorney’s office, Helm said. Charges are not pending, she said.

[NitaX]

That is so tragic.

[elleblue]

How horrific.

[gpw]

I don't think H brings his service weapon home. I could be wrong (I am willfully ignorant about these things, I don't ever see guns in my home), but I don't think so.

[meshaliuknits]

Oh, lord. That's terrible.

[Deleted]

it is so awful. I absolutely hate guns and I'm terrified of them. My neighbor's nephew shot himself in the head when he was 2.5 after finding a gun in a bedroom.

[iammalcolmx]

My god that poor family.

[gpw]

Apr 8, 2013 12:24:34 GMT -5 gpw said:

I don't think H brings his service weapon home. I could be wrong (I am willfully ignorant about these things, I don't ever see guns in my home), but I don't think so.

looks like I was wrong..officers do bring their service weapons home.  

lol, looks like I'm off on pretty much everything today!  Time to go back to bed.  

[downtoearth]

So sad - it just is too sad.

[MixedBerryJam]

This is a terribly sad story, but how black is my heart that, when I saw this headline, I assumed the father shot the mother and is blaming the child? Am I the only one who thinks this?

[EloiseWeenie]

How horrible.

Also, Tater Peeler Road.

[lime]

How terrible.

[PinkSquirrel]

Apr 8, 2013 14:34:24 GMT -5 MixedBerryJam said:

This is a terribly sad story, but how black is my heart that, when I saw this headline, I assumed the father shot the mother and is blaming the child? Am I the only one who thinks this?

I thought the same thing before I read the article

[MixedBerryJam]

Apr 8, 2013 16:07:27 GMT -5 PinkSquirrel said:

Apr 8, 2013 14:34:24 GMT -5 MixedBerryJam said:

This is a terribly sad story, but how black is my heart that, when I saw this headline, I assumed the father shot the mother and is blaming the child? Am I the only one who thinks this?

I thought the same thing before I read the article

I think I still think it, though.

[ttt]

Apr 8, 2013 16:30:12 GMT -5 MixedBerryJam said:

Apr 8, 2013 16:07:27 GMT -5 PinkSquirrel said:

I thought the same thing before I read the article

I think I still think it, though.

This is where i think the gunshot powder residue test would clear things up pretty quickly.

I can't believe that NO charges are pending. How can you be so irresponsible with your guns that a 3 year old can get it AND shoot it AND kill someone, and not be charged with anything??

[fluffaluff]

Apr 8, 2013 13:54:54 GMT -5 incogneato said:

That is awful. That poor baby, having to live with that knowledge and without his mother, all because someone was stupid and reckless. I hate guns.

I would try my hardest never to tell her. Such a tragedy and huge mistake to leave a gun out. He will probably never forgive himself.

[Deleted]

Why in the hell was a loaded gun just sitting on the bed?

[Deleted]

Why in the hell was a loaded gun just sitting on the bed?

[shopgirl07]

The victim was not the child's mother. I think people are getting confused, not that the story isn't awful, but the child didn't shoot his mother.

[bhnumbers]

Apr 8, 2013 13:54:54 GMT -5 incogneato said:

That is awful. That poor baby, having to live with that knowledge and without his mother, all because someone was stupid and reckless. I hate guns.

I don't think the woman killed was that child's mother. It says that the 3 year old is their relative...or am I reading that wrong? Either way it's going to be an awful thing for that child to live with, at that age it's possible he could remember it. What a horrible tragedy.

[ttt]

It wasn't his mom, it was a relative:

www.clarionledger.com/article/20130408/NEWS03/130408025/4-year-old-boy-accidentally-kills-Tenn-deputy-s-wife-

LEBANON, TENN. — A 4-year-old who picked up a gun at
a family cookout killed the wife of a Wilson County sheriff's deputy,
authorities said Monday.

Josephine G.
Fanning, 48, died Saturday at her home about 7 miles south of Lebanon,
according to the Wilson County Sheriff's Office.

The
shooting occurred while her husband, Wilson County Deputy Daniel
Fanning, 51, was with another relative looking at guns in a bedroom of
their home, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The
4-year-old and Josephine Fanning walked into the bedroom where a loaded
weapon was on top of the bed, TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said. The
boy, a relative of the couple, picked up the gun and fired one round
that struck Josephine Fanning.

Sheriff Robert Bryan called
the shooting a terrible accident and said the boy picked up the gun
almost immediately after Fanning had placed it on the bed.

"Within
seconds this small 4-year-old comes into the room, unbeknownst to the
officer, and just picked up the gun and shot her," Bryan said. "Danny
Fanning is going to have to live with it. Our prayers, our thoughts go
out to him and the child."

Alcohol was present at the gathering, Helm said. Daniel Fanning was not on duty at the time of the shooting.

"He was a good officer who did his job," said former Wilson County Sheriff Terry Ashe, who hired Daniel Fanning.

The
gun that the 4-year-old fired was Fanning's personal weapon and not his
police gun, Helm and Bryan said. The deputy's weapons are normally
stored in a safe.

No charges are pending, but the state is continuing to investigate, Helm said.

"(It) appears accidental at this time," Helm said.

Tennessee
ranks among the highest in the nation for accidental firearm deaths,
according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.