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Girl mistakes gun for Wii controller - kills herself

By NewYork on 08/03/2010 at 09:06:41 - 75 comments
Source - WSMV Nashville
Tags: gamedirt, death

Fatal shot to abdomen

Cheyenne Alexis McKeehan, a Tennessee girl, aged 3, accidentally killed herself on Sunday night, according to local police in Wilson County. The incident allegedly occurred after she mistook a gun for a Wii controller.

Investigators claim that the girl's stepfather, Douglas Cronberger, had left a semi-automatic weapon on the living room table, and that the child had mistaken it for a Nintendo Wii controller. The child is then said to have fatally shot herself in the abdomen. She was rushed to hospital, but pronounced dead the same night.

Pictured: Genuine gun on top, compared to Wii peripheral on bottom (WSMV)

The stepfather claims he was asleep at the time of the incident, according to authorities. The stepfather also claims the child's mother, Tina Ann Cronberger, was in the room with the child at the time of the incident. The mother was supposedly sitting at the computer, just a few feet away.

The mother has told authorities the girl might have thought she was playing with a Nintendo Wii controller that resembled a gun. According to the stepfather, the gun was out because he had heard a prowler and gotten the gun out earlier that evening. He then left the gun on the table in the living room. The gun is apparently a .380 caliber semi automatic handgun. The gun was usually kept unloaded and in a cabinet.

The child had been playing a Wii game. The game’s controller, according to authorities, was shaped like a gun that looked very similar to the real handgun. Cheyenne had learned how to use a gun from playing the Wii game for days. The authorities claim the girl "pulled the gun off the table and it went off."

There are no criminal charges pending, but the sheriff's office will turn information culled in its investigation over to prosecutors.

We advise parents concerned about their child's safety regarding Wii hardware to consult Nintendo's Wii safety page.

UPDATE: Extra details from local news outlets.

FURTHER UPDATE: Extra details from additional news source

FURTHER UPDATE: Thanks to reader "mine", who alerted us to the image that appears above

FURTHER UPDATE: Names incorporated into the article, as they have now been released.

FURTHER UPDATE: More details from new source.

Associated screenshots.

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#1 - peej - on 08/03/2010 at 09:30 wrote:

Who was her dad? Robocop? I've never seen any wii peripheral that looks like a semi-auto.

#2 - HairyArse - on 08/03/2010 at 09:55 wrote:

Shit's fucked up yo.

#3 - F365_SUCKS - on 08/03/2010 at 11:53 wrote:

lol @ yanks

#4 - NewYork - on 08/03/2010 at 11:56 wrote:

I can totally imagine the step-dad justifying owning a gun in order to "protect my home and family".

#5 - Piotrish - on 08/03/2010 at 12:18 wrote:

Only last week my daughter blew her head off with what she thought was a banana but was, in fact, my Walther P99 semi-automatic pistol. I knew I shouldn'a painted it yellow LOL.

#6 - HairyArse - on 08/03/2010 at 12:20 wrote:

LOLZ @ Piotrish

#7 - Dr Faggot - on 08/03/2010 at 12:28 wrote:

Just last week I tried to commit suicide by putting my Dad's pistol in my mouth, lo and behold, it turned out to be his erect penis. What a mistake-a to make-a

#8 - Dr Faggot Senior - on 08/03/2010 at 12:37 wrote:

It sure went off though lol

#9 - Kay - on 08/03/2010 at 12:40 wrote:

NY, you've really got to stop with these unregistered socks.

:)

#10 - NewYork - on 08/03/2010 at 12:45 wrote:

These guys are tragically all real, it appears :D

#11 - LarryBong - on 08/03/2010 at 13:41 wrote:

Let me get this right...

parent leaves loaded gun within reach of child and then tries to blame the child's subsequent and unsuprising death on the fact that a wii controller (in plastic gun thingy I assume) looks quite similar to the gun.

UNBELIEVABLE.

No doubt he will now be looking for a lawyer and suing nintendo for their callous indifference to child safety.

#12 - dree - on 08/03/2010 at 14:05 wrote:

"I can totally imagine the step-dad justifying owning a gun in order to "protect my home and family"."

And what's wrong with this exactly?

#13 - peej - on 08/03/2010 at 14:05 wrote:

Great, now you've got the gun nuts started, NY

#14 - dree - on 08/03/2010 at 14:15 wrote:

"Great, now you've got the gun nuts started, NY"

Not a gun nut, just don't understand why neglect and thoughtlessness means that you can't justify wanting to protect your family.

#15 - SuperStevieG - on 08/03/2010 at 14:21 wrote:

silly cow

#16 - HairyArse - on 08/03/2010 at 14:51 wrote:

Dree - what's wrong with having good locks on your door and a burglar alarm? We manage just fine in the UK.

#17 - dree - on 08/03/2010 at 15:00 wrote:

I live in the UK, locks and burglar alarms don't stop everything. When the intruder is in your house you and your family are at the mercy of this intruder, with nothing to protect yourself.

#18 - HairyArse - on 08/03/2010 at 15:18 wrote:

Well I have two large German Sherphers. I'd like to think they'd look after me without being mistaken for a Wii Remote...

#19 - peej - on 08/03/2010 at 15:28 wrote:

TBH I've got no problems with guns, it's not the gun that pulls the trigger itself.

#20 - NewYork - on 08/03/2010 at 15:34 wrote:

With the benefit of hindsight, should this guy have been allowed to own a gun (assuming the answer "yes, but he should have known where to keep it" is a copout).

#21 - dree - on 08/03/2010 at 15:35 wrote:

That's nice HairyArse, if you're content with those dogs protecting you, and you don't mind the upkeep costs and time of looking after a dog, then you're welcome to rely on your dogs, but some people would prefer to have a gun to protect themselves.

#22 - dree - on 08/03/2010 at 15:41 wrote:

"With the benefit of hindsight, should this guy have been allowed to own a gun (assuming the answer "yes, but he should have known where to keep it" is a copout)."

There's nothing wrong with the answer 'he should've known where to keep it.' You can't possibly know that things like this will happen in every specific case. Of course they're going to happen somewhere at some time. What's the solution then? Having a neighbourhood supervisor go around to everyone's house and make sure they've put their gun in a safe place before they go to sleep? It's ludicrous to suggest that this person shouldn't have been able to get a gun because we have hindsight, and besides that we don't know all the extenuating circumstances in this particular case either.

#23 - peej - on 08/03/2010 at 16:07 wrote:

My dad and uncle both keep guns for recreational shooting. In this country, the stringent security checks and the sheer amount of extra work you have to do to your house in order to store the guns means that you need a secure lockable weapons store for them.

Course, if you're the sort of person that leaves a loaded (and cocked) gun around the house where there's a toddler, it's not really going to make much difference how stringent those laws and checks are.

It's an incredibly sad story. What's even sadder is that this, like a lot of other game-related tragedies, probably has more to do with the person's own circumstances than anything to do with gaming.

#24 - stink - on 08/03/2010 at 16:52 wrote:

really this is sad, to think so many people see the death of an infant/toddler through sheer accident to be laughable at all.

You all represent the vile waste of human society, congratulations.

#25 - Killthemall99 - on 08/03/2010 at 16:55 wrote:

first of all, I think the Step-father is completely at fault and deserves second-degree manslaughter for leaving the gun on the table in the child's reach. much the same a car owner is liable for damages done by someone who steals his car just because the owner left the keys in it. It is sheer disregard for the safety of his family.

Secondly, you should never leave a loaded gun in the middle of your house. If he did hear a prowler and wanted to protect his family, he could have left it unloaded with the rounds in his pocket. If He would have left the gun alone and just get a big family dog, good locks, and a security system would have did him just fine.

In conclusion, Ignorance is inexcusable when it endangers a child's life, my friend was charged with vehicular manslaughter because his axle broke while driving and his 2-year old had it's neck broken. My friend could not control his axle but the step-father could control where he left his damn gun.

Case closed.

#26 - FreakUnique - on 08/03/2010 at 17:25 wrote:

Anyone willing to bet that the Wii's light gun will get banned? I remember the Master System had a light gun and no one shot themselves then. I think this could well be evidence that Humans are getting dumber

#27 - Matt - on 08/03/2010 at 17:32 wrote:

What an idiot.

#28 - NewYork - on 08/03/2010 at 18:01 wrote:

Updated the article with new details from a third source. This answers a few questions:

- She was playing a Wii game at or around the time
- The Wii controller did resemble the handgun
- Apparently she "pulled the gun off the table and it went off"

So we probably are looking at a girl mistaking a gun for a Wii controller, but it appears the firing may have also been an accident, which is to say the gun went off simply due to her pulling it off the table.

#29 - Georgia - on 08/03/2010 at 18:02 wrote:

Does anyone here really believe that a 3 year old girl has the necessary strength to pick up a loaded gun, point it at herself, and pull the trigger?

#30 - Georgia - on 08/03/2010 at 18:03 wrote:

When I was typing my response I did not see yours above New York. I suppose that scenario makes more sense.

#31 - Hazmat - on 08/03/2010 at 18:55 wrote:

does no one care that an innocent 3 year old is now dead?

#32 - Martin - on 08/03/2010 at 19:23 wrote:

Why won't comments like these not deleted instantly?

"Only last week my daughter blew her head off with what she thought was a banana"

"tried to commit suicide by putting my Dad's pistol in my mouth, lo and behold, it turned out to be his erect penis"

#33 - mine - on 08/03/2010 at 19:42 wrote:

Here's a pic of the gun and controller in question.

http://www.wsmv.com/slideshow/news/22775502/detail.html

#34 - Captain Spaulding - on 08/03/2010 at 20:03 wrote:

This only happens to dumb ass fuckin americans!!!

#35 - NewYork - on 08/03/2010 at 20:25 wrote:

@mine: Thanks for the tip. I've added the image to the article. I can see how a three-year-old would get the objects confused.

Additionally, the names of those involved have been released, so they've been incorporated into the article.

#36 - Karolle - on 08/03/2010 at 22:44 wrote:

Why on earth would the parents leave a gun within child's reach? A person should be allowed to own a gun, but they should us it responsibly, and keep it in a safe location.

#37 - Duder - on 09/03/2010 at 00:20 wrote:

Remind me to rob the guy with the German Shepherds later, it'll be an easy job.

#38 - YouAreAnIdiot - on 09/03/2010 at 01:52 wrote:

I love the people that are making this about Americans, as if moronic tragedy doesn't occur anywhere else in the world. You people are bigger idiots than this father.

#39 - My name is Username - on 09/03/2010 at 02:29 wrote:

This guy contradicts himself. He thinks he hears a prowler so he gets the gun out. Yet, once the prowler leaves, the father puts the gun out in the open for a potential burgler to see, take, and kill the family with? I call BS and this bastard must be charged!

#40 - Bunnylover - on 09/03/2010 at 03:12 wrote:

Idiot ._.
Who leaves a gun out in open where a child can grab it? And why wasn't the mother watching the 3 year old child? What Wii game uses that type of game any way, i've never seen that type of gun at GameStop or Wallmart. Parents are at fault, keeping a loaded gun on a table with a 3 year old child roaming around the house, I honestly thought you couldn't do that and you had to have guns locked up for safe keeping if you have a child.

#41 - Sage - on 09/03/2010 at 06:05 wrote:

since when did Wii make black things? Was that hte actual controller? probably just made and put there to appeal to peoples emotions.

Anyways- the problem isn't the Gun, or the Wii, its the dumb ass dad who should know better then to leave a gun out especially with a child.

What an idiot.

#42 - father33 - on 09/03/2010 at 06:45 wrote:

stupid f*cking people... the parents AND the designer of the wii controller.

#43 - peej - on 09/03/2010 at 08:36 wrote:

21,950 hits? Fuck a duck!

#44 - 11375pizza - on 09/03/2010 at 09:19 wrote:

No charges? The nut who declared no charges should be locked up, the step-dad was stupid for not putting the gun back, with the mind his daughter doesn't know where it's at or just keep it with him incase the "prowler" came back

#45 - Andoryuu - on 09/03/2010 at 09:20 wrote:

My thing is not that anyone, is innocent in this tragedy, but why in the hell was a three year old allowed to play a game that has the gun shaped wii-zapper in the first place, on top of that there's the fact that if he has a gun, and was worried about intruders, AND WENT TO BED, shouldn't he take it with him, and put it under his pillow, in my opinion, this seems to be a murder, one of circumstance, regardless of whether the child pulling the gun off the table caused her own demise, or the parents did it, even accidentally, the fact remains, he left a gun on the table, in my mind, that's murder, if you're wreckless enough to leave a LOADED PISTOL on a table, then you're as guilty of murder as a guy who had a gun, and killed an adult male, by knocking the gun off the table, all be it an accident, you're still going to jail for murder, I'd like to say more on this, but I'm kinda tapped out at the moment.

#46 - 11375pizza - on 09/03/2010 at 09:22 wrote:

to add on, the designer of the wii remote can be blamed for this too, it's not a real gun and shouldn't have to look like a real gun just to play a game, makes no difference, games don't read object's appearance, just the cord/signal...add color and pizazz it up...don't make it look real

#47 - Ding Chavez - on 09/03/2010 at 11:03 wrote:

What does it matter what the controller looks like? Those aren't meant for children!

#48 - Andoryuu - on 09/03/2010 at 11:21 wrote:

'11375pizza - on 09/03/2010 at 09:22 wrote:

to add on, the designer of the wii remote can be blamed for this too, it's not a real gun and shouldn't have to look like a real gun just to play a game, makes no difference, games don't read object's appearance, just the cord/signal...add color and pizazz it up...don't make it look real'

The real looking ones, are for the adults, who play the games, and want it to look authentic, not meant for children, at all, there are pretty ones for the kids, and also, I believe this zapper is a third party one, nintendo isn't to blame in the least, have you seen official nintendo zappers? They look nothing like a real gun, that's why people buy the third party ones that look like the real thing, as for it not having to look like the real thing, what about the sniper rifles that look authentic, in those "house of the dead" booths, in arcades, and how about the pink and blue pistols, attatched to most arcade shooting games, don't blame the game, blame the parents.

#49 - NewYork - on 09/03/2010 at 11:27 wrote:

Nothing in this article suggests the Wii is to blame.

For anyone rushing in here to claim "it's the dad's fault!", realise that it's pretty obvious to everybody that it's the dad's fault, and have a read of this.

#50 - Harry Poker - on 09/03/2010 at 12:31 wrote:

That proves videogames, unlike guns, are dangerous and must be regulated.

#51 - whoiswho - on 09/03/2010 at 13:37 wrote:

WTF! so now the guilty is nintendo!. juas juas

#52 - tom - on 09/03/2010 at 15:11 wrote:

DAMMIT! Nintendo is killing our children! When are they going to take responsibility for making a toy that looks like a weapon that a hillbilly might load with ammunition and leave on the counter next to his three year old daughter while he passes out in the next room?
YOU SICKEN ME NINTENDO!

#53 - anonymous - on 09/03/2010 at 15:39 wrote:

"We advise parents concerned about their child's safety regarding Wii hardware to consult Nintendo's Wii safety page."

So, the child kills herself with a loaded gun lying unsupervised on the table, and you're more concerned about a harmless gaming pheripheral?

#54 - aloha - on 09/03/2010 at 16:26 wrote:

#55 - Sam - on 09/03/2010 at 18:23 wrote:

What a idiot

#56 - Micro_Explosion - on 09/03/2010 at 21:10 wrote:

It's ridiculous that anyone can blame anyone the parents for this. It isn't their fault that a real gun looks so similar to the Wii remote that a child gets confused between the two.

I'm just surprised and relieved that this hasn't happened earlier but it's only going to get worse when the playstation wand (or whatever it's called) is released. That will look so much like a gun that even American teenagers will get confused.

I believe 2011 may go down as the year when game related deaths reached an all time high.

#57 - DDevil - on 10/03/2010 at 16:59 wrote:

I thought realistic toy guns weren't allowed any longer, which is why light guns and the such are usually bright orange or a similar colour.

#58 - Jtran - on 10/03/2010 at 17:19 wrote:

Anyone saying the parents aren't at fault have got to be kidding themselves. The gun should not have looked like a real one, sure. The child should never have been allowed to play a game meant for adults in the first place though. The Step-father should never have left a loaded weapon laying around with a toddler in the house. The mother should have made sure the area was safe before diverting her attention elsewhere (though she is the least at fault it would seem). America is an interesting country to live in and I love our gun laws in most cases. I own a few guns and so does my father and brother (almost all rifles). About every one of them is set up for a different kind of hunting. This is the reason I support our gun laws and rights. But stories like the one above make me sad b/c I know that our rights will be attacked b/c of foolish, un-responsible people. I feel for the family for the loss of a child, but that sympathy doesn't make me blind to who is truly at fault.

#59 - WasteOfLife - on 10/03/2010 at 18:41 wrote:

First, my condolences.
For those who do not know..
Unlike revolvers, this pistol has to be cocked to chamber a round and set the hammer to where the trigger will fire the weapon. I doubt a three year old can do this without being shown. A gun should only be in this 'ready to fire' state when it is pointed at what you intend to kill. I hope I do not sound accusatory... BTW, toy guns have orange tips (not that a 3yo would notice)

#60 - Harvard - on 10/03/2010 at 20:10 wrote:

LOL, Thats what the dad gets for leaving his gun out. Moron. Poor girl never stood a chance in life with a father like that.

#61 - ParentalFail - on 10/03/2010 at 20:30 wrote:

In reading all the articles it would seem this accident happened rather late into the evening/night time. I agree with WasteOfLife above on the details of the gun being "ready to go off."
What some people don't seem to be looking at: we have a 3 year old playing a game late at night (bedtime?) Same toddler playing games that require shooting. (not sure what that's about) We all seem to agree about the father and his lack of proper gun handling. What I don't get... was the mother too busy on the computer to notice that the gun was set down and left? Why is such a young child playing shooting games that much, enough to "learn how to use a gun." Both parents are negligent in regards to this incident and should be held accountable.

#62 - anonymouse - on 10/03/2010 at 22:42 wrote:

So, americunts, would this have happened if guns were illegal, like in the rest of the civilised world?

God, how long will it take you people to.. oh wait, i forgot. You are getting dumber and fatter for each generation. Guess nothing will change.

RIP little girl, hope this never happens again.

#63 - Douglas Cronberger - on 10/03/2010 at 23:26 wrote:

Dumb bitch

#64 - 60Hz... - on 10/03/2010 at 23:27 wrote:

BS and Criminal Negligence...
1st: You don't leave your gun loaded on the table and then fall asleep if you are worried about a prowler...
2nd: there's a thing called a safety
3rd: where'd you get the black gun wii-mote, that's illegal in most states (probably not in Tennessee tho go figure)
4th: wife is so worried about the safety of the family she's too busy on facebook to notice her kid picking up the gun that was left on the table.

#65 - Darky - on 10/03/2010 at 23:36 wrote:

agree with peej. There all white and if there is one black the controller would be visible. Also, WHO lets there 3 year old play a game with a gun :s

#66 - Nguyen - on 11/03/2010 at 00:38 wrote:

@ Piotrish, your an idiot.

#67 - Justyce - on 11/03/2010 at 01:58 wrote:

This is great news. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a monster, but the child is lucky--she didn't have to grow up and become a failure, being raised by terrible, uncaring parents, experiencing all of the horror and depression life has to offer some of the people who are totally innocent products of their environment. If the parents were so stupid and uncaring that they left a loaded weapon laying around for a toddler to handle, then they deserve this heartache as much as the dead girl would have deserved a better fulfilling life.

#68 - peenerface - on 11/03/2010 at 07:49 wrote:

Errrm...why does the article mention seeing nintendo's safety page? That wii-mote gun is obviously not made by nintendo. You'd have to be pretty retarded (or from Tennessee) to think so.

The dude would have bought it off ebay off of someone who makes wiimotes that look like guns. If I were the person who made that mod, i'd be calling my lawyer right about now.

#69 - shmokes - on 12/03/2010 at 07:34 wrote:

Why would it matter if the toy gun was properly painted white and blue? If so would the 3-year-old have looked at the black version sitting on the table and said, "Oh . . . that one's a different color. Obviously it wouldn't be fun."

#70 - Rex - on 13/03/2010 at 03:28 wrote:

anonymouse-
If guns were banned, sure that girl would probably be with us still. but how many more would be dead because of our lack of a firearm to defend ourselves. You think this doesn't happen? what world do you live in? I have been robbed once and the second time they attempted it in Memphis, tn the 9mm was the only thing that sent them running. The police caught the men later, after they shot and killed a man, robbed him and hid out in the rail yard in west Memphis. Guns do take lives but when used properly they take the right ones, that is why the police wear them.

#71 - jadieee - on 13/03/2010 at 17:30 wrote:

i think it is discusting,y wud u leave a gun on the table were a 3 yr old can get it and expesally loaded

#72 - MrDizzla - on 13/03/2010 at 20:41 wrote:

ONLY IN AMERICA LOL !!!

#73 - rjb21 - on 26/03/2010 at 17:34 wrote:

this step dad is a frickn' idiot

#74 - miguel - on 06/04/2010 at 19:23 wrote:

#75 - commonwealth - on 02/06/2010 at 23:52 wrote:

slovenciny.com said that same. Idiot father and mother.

75 comments in total.

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