Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day: Cheyenne Alexis McKeehan’s Step-Father

The Tennessean informs us that three-year-old Norene resident Cheyenne Alexis McKeehan shot herself in the abdomen with her step-father’s handgun. For some reason, the paper’s terse report focuses on the fact that the gun in question was similar to a toy. (Do I hear the national media knocking?) “The child had been playing a Nintendo Wii video game, [Wilson County Sheriff Terry] Ashe said. The game’s controller was shaped like a gun that looked very similar to the real handgun, which her stepfather had put on a table in the living room. Ashe said the girl pulled the gun off the table and it went off.” Note: “it went off” as opposed to “and accidentally shot herself.” Also, what about the fact that the gun owner left a loaded weapon (with its safety device defeated) within reach of a small child? Why was the gun not safely stored? “Ashe said the girl’s stepfather had taken out his gun to try to frighten off dogs that had been hanging around the home.” Shooting at dogs. Nice. Bottom line: no charges have been filed. Question: why not?