Does the Camp Lejeune death show we need to crack down on firearm safety?

My Lt. Would say there should be consequences to stupidity. He broke many safety rules. Some of the are wanton disregard for safety of fellow Marines. I believe he gets off easy with 5 years. I appreciate he owns up for what he did, but wouldn't any of us have done this.

Two cardinal rules with weapons. Never point at something you don't want to kill. And never put your finger on the trigger unless ready to shoot - PERIOD.

So...much...ambiguity.

ADs happen-we've all seen them; however, this sounds like an almost impossible set of circumstances. If he removed the magazine, and there was a round in the chamber, then pulling the charging handle should've unloaded the round. The only way I see this truly happening on "accident" would be if he tried to "clear" the weapon with a magazine in the well...ejecting the chambered round, then releasing the bolt to re-chamber a second? Even then, it's not "easy" to flick the trigger without meaning to, or being excessively stupid. After all that, the muzzle has to be pointed at his fellow Marine...I may be a little "rusty", but can some of our Marine peers detail clearing procedures in the Corps?

YES

Leaders can do a one or a few things. Leaders can actually bring in weapons with approval and have a safety show down for the entire day. Each SM can be shown how to clear each type of weapon. Safety on other subjects should be discussed as well; not just fire arms.

Firstly did they not have a clearing barrel? Secondly, why the f**k was he trying to clear a weapon with a magazine inserted in the magazine well? Lastly, DON'T PLAY WITH THE FUCKING SELECTOR SWITCH.

Sorry for yelling but there is absolutely no excuse for no firearm safety.

Are there any updates on this? Did they do a competent investigation? I say shenanigans. No one is that stupid.

It is a tragedy that a Marine would lose his life do to the complacent stupidity of a fellow Marine.
That said I have issue with the question being asked.
Marine recruits are issued their first weapon (it is not a gun by the way, it is a rifle.) on Forming Day 4 in recruit training. The next day is Training Day 1. From that moment they are ingrained with the 4 basic safety rules of handling any weapon.

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
2. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
3. Never point your weapon at anything you don’t intend to shoot.
4. Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

Let a recruit get caught violating one of these rules and you will see an immediate and passionate response from any DI or any other Marine for that matter that happens to be in the area.

Weapons safety is already and has always been within the fabric of every Marine.
As for the other services. I was in the Army for four years before I joined the Corps.
Weapons Safety was something the Army also taught me very well and was thoroughly enforced.
Even to this day when I handle any weapon it is automatic to practice basic safety. And if you point a weapon at me I will take it as a threat and respond accordingly.

It was my practice of these basic rules that kept anyone from getting hurt when as a young Marine Cpl my M-60 malfunctioned and accidentally fired. In 1993 I was the Gunner on a "Hardback Hummer" in Mogadishu. As we were leaving the Port Gate as rear security for a supply convoy I went to ready my weapon. From the turret I had the weapon fully elevated, as I fed my belt and charged the weapon with the safety on of course the safety sear failed to catch properly and allowed the bolt to go home firing a single 7.62 round high over the gate. Now I'll spare you the details of the "dress down" I received from the Sergeant of the Guard and his entire Chain of command all the way up to the Colonel in charge of the port. But the last thing the Col said to me was "Thank God you had your weapon elevated". The weapon was disassembled by the armorer and he found the safety sear damaged and rebuilt the guts of my weapon. Function checks had not indicated a problem. Even though I was not at fault my Platoon Sgt still had me write and give weapons classes to the entire platoon for the next week (that was in between 12 to 16 hours a day of missions).
The bottom line was a 20 year old weapon malfunctioned and because of the practice of proper safety no one was hurt, well maybe the pride of a hard charging Cpl, but that's Okay because all who witnessed the event went on to tell the tale and give me a hard time.

And so the question was:
"Are some service members becoming too comfortable with carrying such powerful weapons that they forget safety measures?
What can be done to prevent these tragedies from happening?"
Answer: It's already being done! Every leader of Marines knows the importance of weapons safety and how to enforce it. You can't control everything that will happen to include the actions of a young Marine on guard duty being an idiot.

So I say this. Don't let the liberal hype that guns are evil and kill people muddle the fact that human beings, even those who have the best training, will make mistakes and sometimes the result will be very tragic consequences.

There is no exception to firearm safety. If we are to train as we fight, then weapon safety is the same: We train to a single standard. There should not be a different standard of safety at the range, vs safety at home, in a classroom, with a loaded or unloaded weapon (Rule 1), on post, down range etc. If your training is proper and you do not make exceptions for yourself, then your correct muscle memory can keep you out of trouble even if you do have a "brain fart."

Practice DOES NOT make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect. For the same reason, all other types of soldier training are perfected under stress so that under real-life circumstances when emotions and stress are high, training takes over.

One specific example of the 4 Gun Laws violation I have seen over and over at gun stores and even with military/LE instructors when handling an unloaded weapon with no magazine, is that many will still exercise poor muzzle discipline. There are good teaching points that teaching staff can learn to improve their presentations and eliminate the chances of covering students with the muzzle even in a close "student circle (not ideal) or semi-circle (doable)" environment. If it were OK to violate the rules in these environments, it is programming an incorrect muscle memory for other situations.

From the first day the weapon was issued in Boot Camp, weapons safety was stressed. As a Marine in general, and an MP specifically, there is NO EXCUSE for his actions. Admitting what idiotic and "absent minded" activities he was performing does not diminish his fault. I bet LCpl Boterf's family wishes he was alive to live with a lifetime scar... but he's not. A fellow Marine paid the ultimate price for Little's incompetence and ineptitude. His failure to behave with the discipline required and expected of a Marine in his position should result in the stiffest penalty available. No excuse. No oops. A lifetime of guilt and torment is rightfully earned.