Gun Control | Video

Sarahbeth Ackerman | 10/16/2012

Following the attempted suicide in Fairmount last week, police say they have the option to prosecute or charge a parent or guardian with negligence if they have probable cause to believe that the parent provided the weapon to the minor.

The Minot Police Department says it is illegal for anyone to transfer a weapon to a minor. However, if there is evidence for officers to investigate why that minor was handling a gun, they will inspect how the juvenile retrieved that weapon.

"I do know that law enforcement agencies will look for violations if that juvenile possessed it. They possessed it, somehow. They`ll look for whether if the gun was transferred illegally to the juvenile. The law was created to prevent that sort of scenario," said Sergeant Dale Plessas.

According to the Century Gun Code, one exception of a juvenile handling firearms is hunting. If the minor is with a parent or guardian with that weapon that is legal.

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