It seems like every day we turn on the news and another gun death flashes across the screen. We just can’t seem to escape it. With each death the topic of gun control and gun violence rears its head once again; but lately, it seems that the debate never has a chance to rest because the deaths do not stop. And accompanying the deaths and debates are Republicans and gun wingnuts claiming that these weapons are their god given right! Arm everyone! Guns are safe! Yada, yada, yada. However, those of us on the left, watch the news each day and are made more and more aware of how wrong that stance is. We count the deaths, shake our heads in grief, and wonder when they are going to stop. Sadly on Tuesday night, 23-month-old Deandre Vega joined the 7,416 people that have been killed by gun violence since Newtown when his grandfather, 39-year-old Luis Efrain Torres, set out to kill another family member.

Just before 10:00 pm on Tuesday an altercation erupted between Torres and little Deandre’s father, Rochell McCoy, in Torres’ driveway in Lilburn, Georgia. During the argument Torres pulled a gun and fired shots at McCoy, inadvertently striking Deandre. After hearing gunshots neighbors called 911; when first responders arrived they found the child laying in the driveway and rushed him to a nearby medical center where he later died.

Torres spoke to Channel 2 Action News, from the Gwinnett County Detention Center on Wednesday where he is being held without bond. He is claiming self-defense:

“I was arguing with him and him with me,” Torres explained, “And he threw me to the floor and pushed me and hit me.”

When Torres realized what happened, he ran to the child’s side, he said. He said he’s devastated by his grandson’s death. “I love my family, but I lost everything.”

Torres was arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated assault and murder. Cpl. Jake Smith, of the Gwinnett County police, confirmed that the Deandre was not the intended victim.

“At this time, we don’t think he intended to actually shoot that child,” Smith said at the scene Tuesday night. “But we do believe he was trying to shoot someone else that was here.” [SOURCE]

I am sure that Torres feels horrible for killing his grandson; there is no doubt in my mind that the child was not the intended victim but it doesn’t matter. That’s the problem with guns, their bullets do not discriminate. A child is dead. Another child is dead by gunfire and that is all that matters.

At this time there is no evidence that Torres’ gun was illegally obtained. The police have not charged him with any crime in relation to having the weapon. So we can assume he was a registered gun owner. Another ‘responsible’ gun owner blindly firing a weapon and a child is the collateral damage. Too harsh? Tough.

The right-wing media will likely ignore the story, unless of course the gun wasn’t legally obtained. Ohhhh yeah, if the gun wasn’t legal, they will shout it from roof tops as if that proves something. It doesn’t of course, because illegal guns are guns that were once owned by legal, ‘responsible’ gun owners. The right seems to forget that little tidbit in their quest to arm everyone.

WAIT! There’s the problem……

If only Deandre had, had a gun he would be alive today.

Yep, that’s it, the child should have had a gun because more guns equal less violence right? What a nice fantasy. Unfortunately the 7,416 deaths since December paint an entirely different story and the number continues to grow. So when is enough going to be enough? When are little kids going to stop falling victim to indiscriminate bullets? How many more babies do we have to lay to rest? I don’t know but I do know that the gun lovers in this country don’y give a shit how many kids die. They don’t care, not as long as they continue to amass as many weapons as they possibly can under the guise of exercising their rights.

Here’s the video: