When the Missing Link turns 18 I don't think we'll be able to trust her with an airgun since right now she can't even handle a water gun responsibly. And here's some info about the dangers of airguns. How could we really feel safe if someone with the intelligence of Redneckbecca was running around with one of these weapons?

Each year in the United States, approximately 30,000 persons with BB and pellet gun * -related injuries are treated in hospital emergency departments (EDs) (1). Most (95%) injuries are BB or pellet gunshot wounds (GSWs); 5% are other types of injuries (e.g., lacerations sustained inadvertently while cleaning or shooting a gun or contusions resulting from being struck with the butt of a gun) (1). Most (81%) persons treated for BB and pellet GSWs are children and teenagers (aged less than or equal to 19 years). To assist in developing strategies for preventing these injuries, CDC analyzed data from an ongoing special study of nonfatal gun-related injuries conducted using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; this study has characterized the epidemiology of BB and pellet GSWs among children and teenagers in the United States during June 1992-May 1994 (2). This report summarizes the circumstances of six cases of BB and pellet gun-related injuries identified through NEISS and presents the findings of the analysis of NEISS data.

NEISS includes a probability sample of 91 hospitals selected from all hospitals with at least six beds and that provide 24-hour emergency service (2). Data were weighted to provide national estimates of injuries treated in hospital EDs in the United States and its territories (1).

Case Reports

A 9-year-old boy was struck by a BB beneath his lower left eyelid after he stepped from behind a board at which other children were shooting. The children had been left unsupervised following a youth club target practice session.

A 16-year-old boy sustained a severe midbrain injury from a self-inflicted combination BB/pellet gun GSW through the roof of his mouth.

A 9-year-old girl incurred a pellet injury to the back of her right ankle after four boys fired a pellet gun at her from a passing car while she was walking on a sidewalk.

A 10-year-old boy sustained injuries to his neck and trachea after being struck by a BB from a gun that had been fired unintentionally by an unspecified person.

A 13-year-old boy was shot in the neck with a BB gun while he and a friend were playing in a house. The friend, who believed the gun was unloaded, had aimed the gun at the 13-year-old and pulled the trigger.

A 16-year-old boy sustained a penetrating injury to his right eye after being struck by a BB that ricocheted from a gun fired by a friend.

Summary of NEISS Data

During June 1992-May 1994, a total of 959 BB and pellet GSWs among children and teenagers were reported through NEISS. Based on these reports, an estimated 47,137 (95% confidence interval {CI}=39,746-54,528) children and teenagers were treated for BB or pellet GSWs in hospital EDs during this period (an average of 23,600 per year or 65 per day) (Table_1). The incidence of BB or pellet gun-related injuries was highest for males (53.5 per 100,000 population) and children aged 10-14 years (66.6 per 100,000 population) (Table_1), and the sex- and age group-specific rate was highest for males aged 10-14 years (114.3 per 100,000 population {95% CI=94.1-134.5}).

Although most (64%) persons with GSWs were transported to Eds by private vehicles, 8% of those treated were taken to EDs by emergency medical services (Table_2). Injuries to the eye, face, and head and neck accounted for 31% of all injuries. Hospitalization was required for 5% of cases; of these, 37% were associated with severe injury to the eye.

Data on victim-shooter relationship were complete for 71% of cases (Table_2). Based on these data, 31% of injuries were self-inflicted, and 33% were caused by friends, acquaintances, or relatives. Data on 76% of the incidents indicated the type of injury: although most (66%) resulted from unintentional shootings, approximately 10% were assaults; suicide attempts were rare (0.1%). Locale of the injury incident was known for approximately 55% of cases; approximately 45% of injuries occurred in and around a home, apartment, or condominium.

Reported by: Office of Statistics and Programming, Div of Violence Prevention and Div of Unintentional Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC.