On Saturday, December 4, 2021, Jesse Kitson of Granite Falls, Washington, then 30 years old, put a loaded gun on a coffee table in a sofa where Arabella Watts, 23, and their 1-year-old daughter were sitting. That was stupid.
The gun fell off the coffee table, went off, and killed their daughter (see story here). Kitson and Watts (photo below) were charged with first-degree manslaughter and first-degree unsafe storage of a firearm; Watts also was charged as a felon in possession of a firearm (see story here).
In October 2024, Kitson pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree manslaughter; on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, Watts pleaded guilty to the same charge (see story here).
Keeping guns in a home with young children doesn’t make much sense. The danger is obvious. And if the gun is unloaded and locked away, it’s not much use against intruders. So why have it?
Their daughter is dead, and they’re likely going to prison. It’s a hard way to learn a hard lesson about common sense.
