Watertown, Wisconsin

An 11-year-old Wisconsin boy accidentally killed himself while recreating the action from Halo.

11-year-old Joshua Nimm was playing around with his own .22 rifle and a magazine that his parents had hidden. He had ejected the cartridge but apparently wasn't aware that a bullet was chambered. The gun went off and Nimm died of a fatal shot to the head.

The kid had apparently skipped school and stayed home while his parents were out. His father came out that afternoon and found him dead.

We all know that videogames are going to take a beating for this, but poor gun control is to blame. I'm not going to criticize the parents in their time of tragedy, but an 11-year-old should not own a rifle, let alone have easy access to it. Some may differ in their opinion, but I honestly don't think someone that young possesses the responsibility needed when wielding a firearm.

My thoughts go out to the family.

Via Kotaku

Comments [15]

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Fastthumbs227

Now Fox News is going to do a story and there will be a new organization called Parents Banning Halo (PBH)

Darkstorn

Well, Fox News wouldn't pursue this story that readily because it proves that we need more gun control, something that Fox News isn't ready to accept. I can't imagine what it must feel like to come home and find your 11-year-old son lying dead in the yard...

teh2Dgamer

Don't blame guns for someone being stupid with them. I have no problem with an 11 year old owning a gun as long as they're taught how to properly handle them, and the right respect for them.

First thing's first, you always treat a firearm as if it's loaded. That's the most basic concept of firearm safety. Never point it at yourself, or anyone else even when you think it's unloaded.

Don't blame guns, instead blame the parents for not teaching their son the proper respect for a firearm. I'm not even sure how someone would shoot themselves in the head unless they were either putting the gun to their heads and pulling the trigger to look cool, or just weren't keeping safety in mind.

The moral of the story is don't play with guns. They are not toys.

lancepaa

In 1981 I moved to Seattle from Boulder, CO. My best friend John lived in Boulder and shortly after I moved away he met someone and soon married her. He would often talk about wanting to own a Walther (sp?) PPK. It was a pistol popular with German officers during WW II. He did get one soon after he was married, it might even have been a wedding present from his new bride. Anyway, I got a call from Boulder several months after leaving there from an old friend. John was at the kitchen table talking to he wife of two months, messing around with his new pistol while thinking it was unloaded. According to his wife, john pointed the gun at his temple and pulled the trigger... the last look on his face was surprise, for lack of a better word. Probably the clip was out and there was one in the chamber. John was in his early forties.

HempNight

How in the hell does Halo have anything to do with this stupid kid shooting himself?

legendaryfool

There aren't any suicides in halo with a gun so how and why would he shoot himself? The only suicides are from falling of a cliff etc. and the grunts with plasma grenades coming at you. That kid must really be stupid. Also the parents should have taken the kid to a gun safety class and put the gun and ammo in a locked safe so the kid cant get it.

DylanDuarte

Hey guys, let's not bash the kid for this. He was only 11 years old and goofing around. Kids do dangerous crap all the time, he was just unlucky. How many times as a kid did you almost seriously injure yourself?


2Dgamer - I completely respect your opinion, I just personally believe that 11 years old is far too young for someone to be wielding a gun. However, I agree that this probably could've been avoided if the parents had done a better job teaching their child firearm safety.


Darkstorn - You make an excellent point. I think we all expect the conservative right to jump all of over the videogame issue, but this will also cause quite a stir with the left and gun control. It will be interesting to see how that plays out, if this reaches that level.

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