The Register's editorial

Last summer Jayden Choate found a gun inside a neighbor’s home in Elgin. The 4-year-old accidentally shot himself in the head and died. Now the owner of that gun, Daniel Henriksen, faces a weapons charge in federal court.

Authorities say Henriksen told police he used marijuana. Federal law prohibits unlawful drug users from possessing guns, even if they don’t have a criminal record. If convicted, the punishment is up to 10 years in prison.

Prosecutors are rightly finding a way to hold the gun owner accountable. Iowa needs more of this. Every single time a minor gets a hold of a gun and shoots himself or others, the firearm owner should be held responsible. Every single time.

Criminally charging these individuals may be the only way to send a message to lock up weapons. This important idea is not getting through to gun owners.

In 2016, 247 children in the United States unintentionally shot and killed or injured a person. Some shot their parents. Some shot other children. Some shot themselves.

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These tragic “accidents” are entirely preventable. They are the result of irresponsible adults not properly securing their firearms. Children do not walk into sporting goods stores and purchase their own deadly weapons. They take them from drawers, purses or countertops after adults fail to lock them up. They frequently find them in their own homes.

Holding adults who own the weapons criminally and publicly accountable will help cultivate an ethic of responsible gun ownership. Iowa needs that now more than ever, as our elected officials seem intent on getting as many guns in the hands of as many people as possible.

In 2010, Iowa lawmakers and Gov. Chet Culver took discretion from county sheriffs in deciding who should be granted a permit to carry a weapon. They ignored the concerns of law enforcement and sided with the gun lobby. The result: Hundreds of thousands of Iowans obtained permits to carry a firearm.

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Last week, Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law a bill that may result in more gun deaths. House File 517 would, among other things, allow citizens to use deadly force if they feel threatened. It also allows children to use handguns with adults and creates an avenue for Iowans to sue local governments if they think gun-free zones violate their Second Amendment rights.

“Expanding the freedoms and solidifying the constitutional rights of Iowans should always be the goal of our state,” said the governor.

So should protecting children. When gun owners are not responsible, preschoolers shoot themselves in the head and die.

Correction: An earlier version of this editorial incorrectly stated which governor signed the 2010 legislation removing most of the discretion from county sheriffs in issuing weapons carry permits. It was Gov. Chet Culver.