title:  Seven-Year-Old Boy Accidentally Kills Father With High-Powered Rifle
text: A seven-year-old Alma, Michigan boy accidentally shot and killed his sleeping father on Thursday night.According to police, the seven-year-old snuck out of bed while the rest of the family was sleeping. It appears that the family s guns were  safely  locked in a cabinet.Police say the boy found the key and used it to open the gun cabinet. He removed a high-powered rifle and the gun went off. A single bullet struck his father, who was sleeping in bed, next to the boy s mother.Officers and paramedics were called to the home a little after midnight. The man s injuries were fatal.The deadly shooting took place in a quiet neighborhood. Upon hearing the news, neighbors of the family said they were in shock. They had caution tape up and I saw three cops there,  one neighbor told WNEM. I m sorry to hear everything. It s a real tough time,  he said.Ellie Martin, a fourteen-year-old girl who lives next door to the family, told WNEM that she was  really freaked out  by what happened. I m not a religious person, but like, I prayed that everyone is OK. We don t have a lot of that around here,  she said.The girl went on to say, I just, I hope things get better for them. Not that there s any way of getting back up from that, but just so they can work through it and be OK. A third neighbor said he also has a seven-year-old child at home.  That makes me think a lot,  he told the news station.Contrary to NRA myths, having a gun in the home does not make you or your family safer. It seriously increases the risk that someone in your home will die from a gunshot wound.Even if you think a gun is stored safely and you believe that you ve taught your kids never to touch it, there s always a chance that you re wrong. It s a risk that is not worth taking.Featured image via Pixabay