(ConcernedPatriot.com) – Following accusations from parents that she published staged images of their children holding firearms at the NRA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Reuters photographer Evelyn Hockstein has disabled comments on her Twitter profile.
Parents reportedly alleged that Hockstein had their kids pose with firearms and then shared the pictures without their consent, shattering her pretense, according to FOX News.
Dan Eckart brought his six-year-old grandson to the NRA Annual Meeting and called the photograph of the child brandishing a weapon a “set up.” He alleges Hockstein approached his grandson while looking at a rifle and instructed him to “look at her.”
While removing children’s names from photo captions, Reuters denied any wrongdoing.
🚨Meet @Reuters photographer Evelyn Hockstein (@evelynpix).
At NRAAM, parents/grandparents say that she staged photos featuring their children. She instructed the kids to pick up guns & positioned herself in front of them to capture the images she wanted.… pic.twitter.com/HHqQwKgaiY
— NRA (@NRA) April 21, 2023
Shannon Watts, a proponent of Mike Bloomberg’s gun restrictions, tweeted several of Hockstein’s images on April 16, including the description, “Eddie Eagle must be sitting on a nest somewhere because he was nowhere to be found at the NRA’s annual meeting. Responsible gun owners and parents wouldn’t allow a child to put a finger on the trigger while pointing a gun – even props – at people.”
About 10 minutes after being exposed for allegedly fabricating the photographs, Hockstein muted her Twitter remarks.
The families also discussed the importance of gun safety and how the NRA meetings are a safe location where children can ask experts about firearms.
“The meetings are a great place to safely interact with guns under parents’ and manufacturers’ supervision. We know that kids are naturally curious about firearms. And it’s nice when we’re there to answer their questions about each one and how to safely use them,” the dad, who spoke to Fox News Digital under the condition of anonymity, said.
NRA GUN SAFETY RULES FOR KIDS
In addition to basic gun safety, the National Rifle Association (NRA) put together four additional rules you should review with your kids. Teaching your kids that guns are potentially dangerous will help them stay safe and treat firearms respectfully and cautiously.
If children happen to see an unsupervised gun, the NRA teaches kids to:
- Stop – If you see a weapon, do not go near it.
- Don’t Touch – You should never touch, hold, or pick up the gun.
- Leave the Area – Leaving the area minimizes the chance of injury if another person decides to handle the gun.
- Tell an Adult – Find a trusted adult figure and tell them what you saw.
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