I think it's so sad how easy it is to come across guns in Texas. In my opinion, there should be a new law passed forbidding the use of them unless your an officer or a licensed hunter. And if anyone is caught illegaly with a firearm, they should be given a stiff penalty for it. So many kids are dying today because of these damn things.

There are laws that you must be 21 to purchase a hand gun in Texas. That did not stop a 15 year old from probably getting his parents gun. I do agree though that there should be stiffer penalties for those caught with an illegal weapon.

If indeed the gun belonged to the parents of the 15-year-old, should the parents of the accused be made to face charges as accessories to the manslaughter? It was allegedly their gun over which they did not exercise sufficient control so as to keep it away from their son. From what I see in this case, it could be said like this:
Son's actions + son's results = son's problem....and by extension, parent's lack of action + son's actions = family's problem.
I realize this is a true tragedy; one in which there are no winners. The end result could have been the same even if the son had used someone else's weapon. But in that case, at least the parents of the shooter would not be involved. As it now stands, the whole family is included. Sad. A little teaching, a little discipline might have changed the outcome. A little control of the pistol probably would have.