Exploiting a tragedy to take a swipe at gun rights, MSNBC.com editors this afternoon jumped on a boy's apparent suicide to alarm readers, "Gun violence strikes at Boy Scout camp," read the teaser headline in the lightbox.
"A 12-year-old boy has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, one day after arriving at a Boy Scout camp in San Diego, KNSD reported," read the caption for the photo promoting Emma Margolin's story.
"Though Boy Scouts can earn a merit badge in rifle shooting, Camp Fiesta Island, which focuses on aquatic activities, does not include a shooting range. It is not yet known where or how the boy obtained a gun," Margolin noted in her article, which mercifully spared readers of an attempt to shoehorn gun control policy into the story.
That said, left-wing MSNBC comment thread lurkers used the occasion to attack the NRA, naturally, with gems like these:
- "Per the blessed NRA, every time a gun goes off an angel gets his wings." -- commenter AP/IL
- "A gun for every man, woman, & child in this country. Enjoy your handy work NRA you have blood on your hands." -- commenter Cash O'Ryan
- "Oh god they don't care, just another faceless name that doesn't effect them. As long as they got a gun to cradle at night why would they give a crap about some kid dying, it's the NRA after all." -- commenter Chris Davis
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"This adds to this weeks list of gun tragedies. Again, nothing will happen and again we will cower back under the threat of the NRA." -- commenter Austin Mike
