A childhood game turned deadly on Oct. 17 when a six-year-old boy fatally shot his three-year-old brother during a game of "Cops and Robbers." Michael Santiago, the father of the two boys and owner of the gun, has since been charged with felony child endangerment. The horrific incident reminds me of how mindful people, particularly gun owners, must be, of their possessions given how curious children are with most objects.

The accidental shooting occurred in the young family’s Chicago home while Santiago was working late as a manager at Papa Ray’s Pizza. His wife, Angela Lasalle, was grocery shopping and left her father at home with the boys. He was the only adult who heard the shot after the boys were left alone for a few minutes.

Santiago was a former gang member who bought the pistol off of the streets as a form of protection after testifying against his former colleagues. He feared for his life, but that does not excuse his carelessness. Santiago left the gun on top of the refrigerator in their home and reportedly told his eldest son where the firearm was located, explaining that only adults could use the weapon.

Not only was endangering his child by informing him of the weapon’s whereabouts morally reprehensible, but leaving the gun in such an easily accessible location was both thoughtless and reckless. If anyone broke into their house and stole the gun while the family was out, there would be the threat of the weapon being carried illegally.

There have been too many incidents in the past year alone of children getting access to their parents’ gun and killing another child. According to The Washington Post, this past summer, a toddler was fatally shot by her seven-year-old brother in Washington. Additionally, another incident occurred earlier this month when two children got into a dispute over puppies and the eleven-year-old turned a shotgun on his eight-year-old neighbor. The rate at which child shootings occur is unnecessary and can be easily prevented by more thought being put into where the guns are kept by the owners.

I do not support the right to keep and bear arms. Given that our country was only independent for 15 years when the Second Amendment was created, protection had an entirely different meaning. However, I do realize that banning guns will not solve the problem because there will always be people like Santiago who can purchase them on the street. Although there is no clear way to monitor gun owners and how they use their guns, more thought should be put into teaching gun safety. If we are going to continue to allow people to bear arms, they should at least be educated on basic boundaries, such as not leaving firearms loaded or in places that can easily be reached by any child.

From this tragic incident, I hope that everyone, not only gun owners, will realize that firearms pose a risk much greater than the protection that they may also provide. Santiago may have feared for his life, and his position may not be similar to those who purchase firearms under normal circumstances, but the fact stands that if guns are going to be accessible to the public, they must be monitored more carefully in the home environment.