Cub Scout lauded for finding, reporting firearm

Cub Scout lauded for finding, reporting firearm
Date: Jul 4, 2006 2:07 PM
Vermont has the NRA Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program available,
through the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs.
Click here: Eddie Eagle Lands in Vermont

FYI (copy below):
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2006/06/28/news/scout.html
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June 28, 2006

Cub Scout lauded for finding, reporting firearm

PHILLIP GOMEZ / PVT

Sheriff Tony DeMeo presented a certificate of appreciation
and good citizenship to a 7-year-old Pahrump boy Sunday, for
his clear thinking in immediately reporting a 9mm automatic
handgun he recently found lodged under a shed near the
bleachers at Honeysuckle Park.

The boy, Devon Dace, was chasing a lizard with a friend when
he discovered a bag of beef jerky with a heavy object in it
tucked under the utility shed behind the baseball dugout.

Dace said he at first thought the gun was a toy, but then
realized it was real because of its weight.

DeMeo congratulated Dace for his foresight and good sense in
knowing better than to handle the weapon.

Cub Scout Pack No. 748 applauded Dace as Jerry Magnuson,
assistant district commissioner of the Boy Scouts of
America, Las Vegas Council, presented him with a compass
"for doing the right thing."

Magnuson said the compass given to Dace was to "keep him on
the right track, and bring along all his friends."

Later in an interview with the Pahrump Valley Times, DeMeo
reflected on the recent shootings that took the lives of two
young people from the community.

"What we're emphasizing from the Sheriff's Office point of
view is responsible gun ownership," DeMeo said. "People
without training in handling guns can come into anyone's
house. We should be cognizant of that.

"I have guns at my house. When we have people come over,
those weapons are put out of reach. Other people should
take the responsibility of safeguarding their weapons so we
don't have another incident like we had Friday night.

"I've been in contact with the National Rifle Association,
and it is going to provide a program to the high school to
tell kids to leave weapons alone. The other thing is for
gun owners to take responsive action about locking their
guns. In both of these incidents, the teenager got
possession of a weapon.

"Two 6-year-olds showed responsible actions (in reporting
the gun found at Honeysuckle Park)," DeMeo said. "Maybe
it's just that teenagers lose that kind of message of
responsibility in treating every gun as if it is loaded.
These incidents are few and far between, given the amount of
firearms that people have in their homes."

The Sheriff's Office provides free gun locks to those
requesting them, he said.