Saturday, November 10, 2012

Shooting Range Suicide Calls for Background Checks to Rent Guns

Michigan Live reports

As family of Mark Sobie grieve his death after a self-inflicted gunshot wound last week at a Wyoming shooting range, they question why no laws prevented him from renting a firearm.

A background check, they say, would have shown the 43-year-old's felony bank robbery conviction, an offense that led him to serve 30 months in federal prison. The criminal record prevents him from purchasing or possessing a gun.

“We would have had a chance,” Sobie’s sister, Christine Jones, said Thursday, Nov. 8, a day before family were to gather for his funeral. “They could have called police.” 

Officers from the Wyoming Police Department responded to Silver Bullet Firearms Oct. 30 and found Sobie suffering from a gunshot wound. He could not be revived and was later pronounced dead. 

Sobie’s death marked the second at the range, 5121 South Division Ave., in four years. Both were ruled suicides.
Well that's two more we didn't know about. I hope Baldr is keeping count, I know no one else is. Yet, the pro-gun folks keep telling us how rare these things are. The truth is they have no idea how many there are.

In addition to the background check for renting a gun, which I agree is a good idea, there should be a 24-hour waiting period.  These two requirements would save lives.

What's your opinion?  Don't you get a little tired of the pro-gun objections to things that would save lives but inconvenience them a little bit?  I do?

Please leave a comment.

4 comments:

  1. Mikeb, there is no doubt that a person who killed themselves was definitely committed to killing themselves. If a person is definitely committed to killing themselves, they are going to find a way to succeed. If you deny them guns, they can jump off a tall building, drive their car into an overpass as 100 mph, or swallow poison and walk off into the woods.

    As for waiting periods stopping suicides, first of all see my explanation above about stopping a person who is committed to killing themselves. And since I mentioned people can use cars to kill themselves, how about if everyone who wants to rent a car has to pass a background check? Oh, and they have to wait 24 hours as well. That would be great for travelers arriving at an airport. Sign up at the rental car desk; then take a taxi to your hotel and wait 24 hours before you can take a taxi back to the airport to pick up your rental car. It's only a minor inconvenience and it might just save one life.

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    Replies
    1. There is a big doubt that a person who kills themselves is committed to doing it. For many it's spur of the moment thing, or a few hours of despair and a gun makes it more likely to succeed.

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  2. You know, renting guns means you don't have to own one in your home. You shouldn't be so hostile to the idea.

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  3. A background check takes time and money. What you propose would eliminate gun rentals altogether. That's your real goal here. Your demands make no sense otherwise, given the small number of incidents.

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