Kids & Guns

West Virginia is considering a bill to teach schoolchildren how to handle a gun and hunt safely its proponent hopes will increase state revenues from hunting licenses, a state lawmaker said Thursday.

"We will teach a hunting safety course during their physical education class," state senator and bill sponsor Billy Wayne Bailey told AFP. The courses would be imparted in secondary schools, from the eighth to 10th grade (13-16 years of age).

"They will learn gun safety, the proper use of fire arms. All the weapons will be disabled so there is no chance of discharging," he said, adding that the state Senate was expected to take up the bill next week.

"Hunting is an economic and cultural thing and we have seen a decline of hunting licenses over the past years," said the lawmaker, explaining that his bill would boost interest in hunting in West Virginia.

Children 10 years and older can already apply for a hunting license in West Virginia, which makes 1.5 billion dollars a year from hunting-related activities, the senator said.

IN MARYLAND... The kids don't need lessons.
COCKEYSVILLE, Md. -- Baltimore County police have charged a 15-year-old boy with four counts of first-degree murder in the killings of his parents and his two younger brothers. Meanwhile, members of a quite suburb are in mourning.

Nicholas Waggoner Browning has been charged as an adult in the slayings of his father, John Browning, 45; his mother Tamara, 44; and his brothers Gregory, 13, and Benjamin, 11.

The victims were found dead Saturday evening inside a home in Cockeysville, north of Baltimore. A small, silver-colored crucifix was hanging from the Brownings' mailbox Sunday.

Police spokesman Bill Toohey said Browning was formally arrested at 1:05 a.m. Sunday.

"Early Sunday morning, he did indeed admit that he killed them," Toohey said. Browning was denied bail at a hearing Sunday morning; bail review will be conducted Monday.

Toohey said Nicholas Browning, a student at Dulaney High School, had a disagreement with his father and used his father's handgun to kill his family Friday night.

After the slayings, police said he threw the gun away in bushes near his house.

Toohey told WBAL TV 11 News that the youth spent Friday night and all day Saturday with friends. When the friends took him back to his house at 5 p.m. Saturday, Browning went into the house and came back out to say that his father was dead.

"He was taken into the precinct almost immediately after he reported it, which is standard operating procedure," Toohey said of Nicholas Browning.

The neighborhood was quiet Sunday morning; no police officers remained at the scene and there was no sign of investigation or any other activity. The grounds of the two-story home were neat and there was a basketball backboard outside.

Neighbors who talked to 11 News reporter Melissa Carlson said the family had lived in the home for more than 12 years and described them as quiet, friendly and active members in the community.

Residents called each other throughout the night to talk about the tragedy, said resident Mike Thomas. He said one of his sons had been in Boy Scouts with one of the Brownings' sons and that Browning remained involved in scouting.

"These people would do anything in the world for you - just incredible people," Thomas said. For instance, Thomas said the Brownings would pick up debris along the street.

John Browning had been an attorney for 19 years with Royston, Mueller, McLean & Reid, and was a partner in the law firm in the county seat of Towson, about six miles from the family's home.

Nicholas Browning is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center in a special section for juveniles.

Counselors were to be available Monday to meet with students at Dulaney High, said Charles Herndon, a county school spokesman.