On March 2, 2018, nine-year-old Branden Patten died after a shotgun wound to the neck in Arboles, Colorado. That afternoon Branden and his two younger brothers, ages 7 and 10, left their family property and entered a nearby unoccupied summer home. Inside they found a locked cabinet holding two guns; one was loaded. The 7-year-old brother, Dakota, pulled the trigger of the loaded shotgun and struck Branden.

The two surviving brothers ran home to alert an older sibling, who called 911. Deputies from the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office responded and Branden was found deceased; an autopsy confirmed the shotgun wound to the neck as the cause of death. No arrests were made because Colorado law bars holding a child younger than 10 criminally responsible. The family released the children’s names to promote firearm safety.

Are there readers familiar with firearm storage or this area who can share safety practices or relevant local contacts?