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| The face of today's CCW holder |
Another
mentally ill CCW holder:
A dispute over noise may have preceded the horrifying scene in Brighton on Wednesday when authorities say a shotgun-toting man with a history of mental illness fatally shot a 78-year-old man in a wheelchair at a city-owned complex for the elderly and disabled, then fired at and narrowly missed police and medics.
Remember this the next time Jay Grazio and Andrew Johnston whine about how tough Massachusetts' gun laws are. Apparently, they're so 'tough' that someone who is so mentally ill that he can't work and is institutionalized can get a CCW permit.
Of course you do realize that if the man did indeed have a CCW, that Mass. is a "May Issue" state where you have to have law enforcement make a judgement call. Isn't that the way you all said you wanted it for everyone? Well at least MikeB and Jade anyway.
ReplyDeleteFWM: Where exactly did I say that?
ReplyDeleteThat's right--I didn't.
To my mind, "shall issue" is as easily misused and abused as "my issue."
I certainly don't want "shall issue" and "may issue" asks that we put police or other officials in the position of making determinations they may not be qualified to make,(e.g., mental health).
That certain individuals have permits to carry demonstrates IMHO that Massachusetts' Concealed Carry laws are fairly liberal.
ReplyDeleteWhere are you seeing that this guy had a carry permit?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.necn.com/08/11/11/Accused-Brighton-shooter-arraigned/landing_newengland.html?blockID=547770&feedID=4206
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updated link, 1st story didn't mention any permit.
ReplyDeleteSomething is wrong with the claim that he had a permit though. His residence was within Boston which does not issue carry permits. There would have also had to have been a severe breakdown in the MA permit process for him to have qualified for one with his mental issues (permit application requires both a description of any mental health treatments and a records release to verify as well as several character witnesses). There also weren't any firearms that could have been carried recovered from his residence (no report on if he had any registered however). He would have had to have a permit to own any firearm in MA however which might have been confused by the reporter with a carry permit.
Legal gun owner, almost certainly. Carry permit recipient, unlikely (especially in MA).
FWM, My idea is that "may issue" gives the local authorities a shot at excluding some people they know are trouble. Teenage bad boys who become 21 are often known to the police.
ReplyDeleteI also would require mental health screening, but not just for the CCW permit.