When a Laramie man accidentally shot and killed himself two weeks ago, it contributed to an ongoing public discussion of gun rights, safety and responsibility.
Police found Randolph Starkel’s body next to his vehicle and a .22 caliber H&R sportsman’s pistol. According to the police report, he was loading his vehicle for a trip to Washington when he dropped the weapon and it discharged, the round striking him below his left eye.
Taylor Surber, president of the Students For Concealed Carry RSO, has a concealed carry permit, takes a women’s self defense class and has been certified in defensive pistol. She said there should be a bigger focus among gun owners on firearm safety.
“I would say when it comes to firearms you can never have enough safety training,” Surber said. “While I’m an avid shooter and safety with firearms was taught to me very young, I still am constantly learning new things.”
Ladd Everitt, director of communications for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, said states should make greater efforts to verify firearm responsibility before issuing permits.
“There’s no shortage of supply of gun safety courses in this country,” he said. “There’s a shortage of demand because there’s almost no laws requiring safety.”
Everitt said the lack of safety knowledge is one aspect of a culture that perpetuates these kinds of tragedies.
“There’s not a lot of regulation in this area,” he said. “Very few states have laws that place requirements for storing firearms in a safe manner or child access prevention laws or how you carry guns in public. It’s the perfect storm.”
Surber is from Nebraska—a state with stricter gun regulations than Wyoming—and agreed there is a need for greater mandatory safety training but,
“Accidental discharge is a huge argument antigun advocates make in regards to conceal carry, especially on campus,” Surber said. “While in comparison, the fraction of accidental discharges is actually very minuscule, it’s a huge argument made against conceal carry and weapons in general and it’s unfortunate that something that happens so rarely—and can usually be avoided with proper firearm handling—has such a big impact on the topic.”
Surber and other gun owners accept the risks of possessing firearms.
“The benefit of knowing I can protect myself and my family, as well as provide for by being able to hunt greatly outweighs the small chance for misfire,” she said.
Laramie Police responded to a report of an unconcious male on the 1600 block of North Fifth Street around 4 a.m on Feb. 27. Upon arrival, authorities found 23-year-old Randolph Starkel near his vehicle that he had been loading with a .22 caliber H&R sportsman’s pistol nearby and a gunshot wound just below his left eye. The shooting was determined an accident.
