Parkland shooter’s mother wasn’t afraid of her son having guns

Speaking of parents and guns…

I know we’ve all heard about the many breakdowns and failures that led to the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead. However, I want to talk about one glaring one that may have been missed with all the superfluous stories about the shooting grabbing most of the headlines.

Nikolas Cruz’s late mother, Lynda Cruz, was said to have told a therapist that she wasn’t afraid of her son owning a gun…

Lynda Cruz told Del Barrio that she had no worries about her son as a gun owner.

“I’m not concerned and I’m not afraid,” she said, according to counselor Anna Del Barrio’s report. “My son has pellet guns and he’s always respected the rules of where they can and can’t be used.”

This was after many documented outbursts of violence and self-harm by Cruz himself. This was also while Cruz was 17.

If a child has mental health issues and has thoughts of suicide, why on earth would you encourage them to own a gun?

I know hindsight is always 20/20, but let her mistake be a lesson to parents who are thinking of allowing their minor children to own a gun. They’re not toys, they’re not a phase, they’re not a hobby, and they’re not safe. They are weapons whose only real purpose is to kill whatever it’s pointed toward. To allow these instruments of death to be in the hands of children is the ultimate in parental irresponsibility.