Dad Fined For Pictures Of Him Pointing Gun At Daughter, Wrapping Son in Ammo

A 25-year-old man, who clicked a photo of his 15-month-old daughter while pointing a shotgun at her as she held a rifle, was fined by a court.

Daniel John Prunster, from West Australia, had also posted a picture of his baby son in a crib with an ammunition belt wrapped around him, Perth Now reported.

The picture, which appeared on Prunster's Facebook page, had the caption: "My nugget trying to be a Russian."

Prunster had pleaded guilty in Geraldton Magistrates Court to failing to adequately store firearms, pointing a firearm at another person, failing to comply with firearm and ammunition storage requirements, and possessing cannabis. The magistrate imposed a $1,500 (US$ 1,170) fine plus $130.50 (US$ 101.79) in court costs Monday.

Police prosecutor Sgt Troy Gildersleeve told the court the situation was "a recipe for disaster," The Geraldton Guardian reported.

The police had recovered from Prunster 104 shotgun and rifle rounds, and two magazines of live ammunition, all of which were unsecured. A personal amount of cannabis was also recovered from Prunster’s partner’s car and their house. The key to the gun safe was found inside the vehicle.

The images, used as evidence in the case, showed Prunster pointing the firearm point-blank at his daughter, who was seen holding another rifle that was bigger than her upside down and pointing toward her father, The Geraldton Guardian reported. The butt of the gun rested on the floor behind her and her hands were over the barrel and bolt handle.

Another photo, which was taken at the same spot, showed the barrel of his weapon close to his daughter’s face, and a woman bent over the bed to Prunster's right.

To defend himself, Prunster took to Facebook to say he loved his family and kids more than anything and nobody in his house was in danger.

He claimed he was just showing his daughter how to hold a gun and there was no ammunition in it. "The ammo belt on my son had empty shells was a gift from my uncle that was passed down to me & I was just proud to show it off with my son but the media needed someway to get the attention & a baby with ammo on it was pretty good," his post read.

"The ammo that wasn’t secured was a bullet that must have rolled to the back of our dresser & had been under there without us knowing," the post added.