Saturday, November 24, 2012

An Armed Society is a Polite Society....

From 5NBCDFW

YeeHaaaa, Pardners, the US is fast becoming the gun mad society that has been predicted.  In this case, Black Friday shoppers were treated to a shopper pulling a gun (Mr. Gunn) on another shopper (Mr.Impolite) who allegedly punched him in the face while they were waiting in line at a Sears store.  The man who is alleged to have punched the gun toter was in such a hurry to get those bargains on Thurday Evening that he cut in line and verbally abused other shoppers.

That behaviour caused someone who claims he was punched to pull a gun, scattering the other shoppers, including  Mr. Impolite, who hid behind a refrigerator.


Police Sgt. Rob Carey tells the San Antonio Express-News that the man with the gun had a permit to carry the weapon and isn't being charged with a crime.

Lovely, the get away with murder laws are making it a capital offense to be rude!

Murder - Suicide in Las Vegas

Local news reports

Antique Flare Gun

via Neatorama

I can't find much information about this flare gun beyond that it's of French manufacture and has a percussion cap ignition system, thus dating it to probably the Nineteenth Century. The cup at the end, I gather, is used for the flaring material. But I'm at a loss to figure out how the flare would be propelled.

How do you think this flare gun works?

The Pilgrim's Gun

via Neatorama

This .50-caliber wheellock musket, propularly known as the Mayflower Gun, is thought to be the only surviving firearm among those that crossed the Atlantic with the Pilgrims. It has been traced back to John Alden, traditionally the first Pilgrim to step ashore at Plymouth. Preservationists discovered it in 1924:
The Alden family dwelling, like the gun, has survived for nearly 400 years. The Mayflower gun was discovered—still loaded, nonetheless—in a secret protective cubbyhole near the front door of the home during a 1924 renovation.  The Alden home, which was occupied by family members until the mid-1890’s, is currently a National Historic Landmark in Duxbury, Massachusetts.  Though it is certain that other settlers would have carried similar arms, this is indeed the only known surviving piece, likely because it was tucked away and forgotten after its years of service had ended.

2012 Murders are Up in Oakland

 Local news reports
The fatal shooting of a 33-year-old man in Oakland has bought this year’s homicide tally to 110, tying the city’s mark last year.

Officer Rob Rosin tells the Oakland Tribune that police responding to reports of gunfire found Jose Rivera Estrada lying on a sidewalk in east Oakland Wednesday night.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. Rosin said police did not have a motive for the killing or any suspects in custody.

The incident was Oakland’s 110th homicide so far this year, the same total for all of 2011. The city also recorded the same number of homicides in 2009.
This is the time of year when we see reports like this. The John Lott supporters keep telling us that BECAUSE there are more guns around there is less violence.  But, even the author himself knows that's not true

Like we reported about Baltimore the other day, Oakland doesn't seem to be benefiting like it should.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Virginia Man Arrested for Triple Shooting

Local news reports

Chesterfield police say a woman and two boys have been shot at a townhouse and a 35-year-old man was arrested a short time later.

Lt. Randy Horowitz says officers heard gunfire upon arriving at the scene Thursday night. The suspect fled but was quickly arrested.

Michael Derrick Williams of Chesterfield was charged with three counts each of malicious wounding and felony use of a firearm, and one count each of burglary and shooting into an occupied dwelling. 

The boys, ages 11 and 16, were in critical condition at VCU Medical Center. Horowitz says the woman had less serious injuries. Their identities weren't immediately released.

Williams was held without bond in the Chesterfield County Jail. It wasn't immediately known whether he had an attorney.
Did you notice he was not a felon in possession of a gun? That means that up until yesterday he was a lawful gun owner, just like so many, completely unfit to own guns but in possession of one nonetheless.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Kentucky's Worst Sin - Obligatory Religious Belief

Alter Net reports
In Kentucky, a homeland security law requires the state’s citizens to acknowledge the security provided by the Almighty God--or risk 12 months in prison. 

The law and its sponsor, state representative Tom Riner, have been the subject of controversy since the law first surfaced in 2006, yet the Kentucky state Supreme Court has refused to review its constitutionality, despite clearly violating the First Amendment’s separation of church and state.
"This is one of the most egregiously and breathtakingly unconstitutional actions by a state legislature that I've ever seen," said Edwin Kagin, the legal director of American Atheists', a national organization focused defending the civil rights of atheists. American Atheists’ launched a lawsuit against the law in 2008, which won at the Circuit Court level, but was then overturned by the state Court of Appeals.
The law states, "The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God as set forth in the public speeches and proclamations of American Presidents, including Abraham Lincoln's historic March 30, 1863, presidential proclamation urging Americans to pray and fast during one of the most dangerous hours in American history, and the text of President John F. Kennedy's November 22, 1963, national security speech which concluded: "For as was written long ago: 'Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'"
Are they hillbillies or just rednecks? Whatever they are, they make the United States of America look ridiculous on the world stage. I wonder what ranking Kentucky has on the child well-being scale?

10th-worst state for kids: Kentucky (tie)

Child well-being index score: -0.47

 
Kentucky leads off the list in a tie for 10th-worst state for children, due in large part to the state's less-than-stellar record in supporting children's health programs. In 2007 state legislators decided to do something about the state's poor record in this area and created the "Blueprint for Kentucky" to promote legislation that better supports young people. After four years in action progress is incremental, and Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has made it a priority to expand health coverage to the "over 67,000 Kentucky children who are qualified to receive care through the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program or Medicaid but are not yet enrolled."

Kentucky ranks number 14 for worst education.

It's no surprise that the Brady Campaign assigned Kentucky number 47, 1 being the best, in gun control laws. Only three states are worse, Alaska, Arizona and Utah.

Of all the strikes against the great state of Kentucky, none is more damning than the legislating of Christian beliefs.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Young Siblings Playing with the Family Gun - No Charges

via Kid Shootings

Near Shawnee, Oklahoma, a 12-year old boy and his 11-year old sister were playing with their family's unsecured, loaded handgun when the boy unintentionally shot his sister in the stomach.

From
an article:

Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office tells KRMG the shooting happened at a Twin Lakes home near Shawnee. 
The girl and her 12-year-old brother were playing with a handgun when the brother accidentally shot his sister in the stomach.  
She was flown to a hospital in Oklahoma City and her condition is unknown.  Sheriff's office said the brother wasn't harmed during the shooting. 
No word if any adults were at home at the time.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

A Legitimate DGU in Georgia

Local news reports

A hunter is recovering after being bitten by a rattlesnake, and his 9-year-old son is credited with shooting the snake and keeping his wounded father alert until rescuers could reach their location on a mountain.

Authorities say 43-year-old Shane Newton was recovering at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital after being bitten in the leg Sunday near Waleska.

Newton told dispatchers he was shaking badly. His health deteriorated during the nearly hour-long call for help. His son Grant followed the dispatcher's directions to keep his dad alert and talking.

Newton told dispatchers he shot the snake, but later his son said the rattler was moving again and coming toward them. The boy told dispatchers he would shoot the snake again, and reported that he thinks those shots finally killed it.
True DGUs are rare. Most are unnecessary or actually wrong. True DGUs against animals are even rarer. In order to reach the ridiculous numbers they claim, gun-right folks count everything they can, shooting at supposedly rabid racoons, or even imaginary threatening animals in the bushes.

This rattlesnake story is an exception. And the 9-year-old is a hero.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

NY Billionare Disarmed after Incident

The New York Times reports

The police have confiscated two guns belonging to a New York billionaire and are weighing whether to revoke his handgun license after officers responded to an incident this month at Trump Tower, according to a police official and two people familiar with the matter. 

The billionaire, Stewart J. Rahr, 66, a philanthropist who calls himself the “No. 1 king of all fun,” declined to comment on Wednesday. 

Details of the incident at Trump Tower were not immediately available. But Benjamin Brafman, a lawyer retained by Mr. Rahr, said in a statement: “There was a minor incident that the police are reviewing, as is standard practice. Based on my understanding of the facts, I am very confident that the matter will be closed without any formal proceedings whatsoever as Mr. Rahr did absolutely nothing wrong.” 

The police were summoned to Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, where Mr. Rahr has an office, on Nov. 1 after a heated exchange involving Mr. Rahr and an elevator operator, said one of the two people familiar with the matter. Both declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly.
I guess there goes Greg's theory about how the wealthy get preferential treatment.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Missouri Man Arrested for Gun Accident which Injured His Two Kids

Local news reports

Kenton Cowgill Jr. was charged with three counts of domestic assault, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Office says the fight Monday began when 48-year-old Mark Wittenmeyer confronted Cowgill about a domestic assault involving Cowgill's wife, Wittenmeyer's daughter.

Prosecutors say Cowgill grabbed a shotgun and it discharged while the men struggled over the weapon, striking a 2-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy in the face.
 
This is why shotguns should be regulated just like handguns.

What do you think? Is that asking too much?

Please leave a comment.

Double Murder - Suicide in Torrence CA

LA Times has the video.
A maintenance worker at the Torrance senior-living complex where three people were found dead Tuesday in an apparent murder-suicide described pleas for mercy he heard from one of the victims. 

Arturo Ramirez, who works at the Golden West Towers, said he saw a man who lived in the facility, whom he called Chuck, holding a gun. He locked himself in the maintenance office and called 911. 

He heard one of the women killed say, "Please, no! Please!" and then heard two gunshots. A few minutes later, he said, he heard one more shot. Officers who arrived on the scene found the bodies of two women and a man, said Sgt. Robert Watt of the Torrance Police Department. 

Employees at the facility told The Times that the alleged perpetrator was a male resident of the facility, and that one of the victims was a manager of the complex and the other was a caregiver. One employee said the alleged shooter was prone to violent outbursts and had expressed anger toward the two who were killed.

Baltimore Homicide Toll Already Equal to 2011

The Baltimore Sun reports
Soon after gunfire broke out about 8 p.m. along Greenmount Avenue in North Baltimore on Tuesday, city police officers already parked in the area found three victims with gunshot wounds — one of them, a 16-year-old boy, unresponsive.

The boy, identified Wednesday morning as Daniel Pearson, was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 8:22 p.m., according to Detective Vernon Davis, a police spokesman. The two other victims, men ages 33 and 20, were also sent to hospitals and were in stable condition Wednesday morning, police said. Police did not identify the victims.

The triple shooting raised the total number of people shot in the city Tuesday to five, and brought the total number of killings in Baltimore this year to 197, which was the total homicide count for all of 2011. Pearson is the eighth juvenile murder victim.
I suppose this is what John Lott and his followers mean be "more guns equals less crime." Or is Baltimore just the exception to the rule?

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

Georgia Man Arrested for Triple Murder

ajc.com reports

DeKalb County investigators said late Wednesday they have identified the man accused of shooting three people to death at an apartment complex. But they haven’t found him yet.

Brian Levern Gupton, 32, allegedly shot two men and a woman, possibly following a discussion over the theft of money, according to police.

Officers arriving at the Crystal Point Apartments, off Columbia Drive in south DeKalb, around 1:20 a.m. found the three people shot in the parking lot, according to Mekka Parish, police spokeswoman. All three died from their injuries, Parish said.

“Detectives believe the trio were at the location meeting with the suspect in reference to a dispute over the theft of money,” Parish said in an emailed statement. “During this encounter, the suspect pulled out a weapon and began firing, striking the three victims.”
No mention in the article about his past, whether he was a lawful gun owner or not. But, it doesn't matter. In this, gun owners are all the same.  Some of them think the gun is the answer and use it to settle scores or end arguments.

Gun-rights fanatics are heavily invested in the idea that gun owners are divided neatly into two categories, the good guys and the bad guys.  Nothing could be further from the truth. They're all brothers of the gun.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Hector "Macho" Camacho Shot in Puerto Rico

CBS Sports reports
Former champion boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho was seriously wounded Tuesday in a shooting outside the Puerto Rican capital, and doctors and his spokesman said he was expected to survive. 

At least one gunman opened fire on the 50-year-old Camacho and another man as they sat in a car in the city of Bayamon. The other man, whose relationship to the former boxer wasn't immediately known, was killed, according to a statement from police. 

Camacho was rushed to Centro Medico, the trauma center in San Juan, where he was in critical but stable condition, Dr. Ernesto Torres, the hospital director, told reporters. 

The bullet apparently struck him in the jaw, exited his head and lodged in his right shoulder, fracturing two vertebrae, Torres said. The doctor said the boxer, who battled drug and alcohol problems during his career, was at risk of paralysis from the shooting.
Hector had a troubled life of drug abuse, crime and domestic violence. Unfortunately, it finally caught up to him.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

New York Serial Killer Stopped

Yahoo News reports

A balding garment salesman was arrested Wednesday for systematically killing three shopkeepers as they worked alone in their clothing stores and had been poised to strike again, police said.

Salvatore Perrone, 63, was taken into custody after a pharmacy worker recognized him as the man shown in surveillance footage leaving the scene of the most recent shooting, last Friday, with a duffel bag, police said.

Another shopkeeper came forward and said Perrone had gone into his store and questioned him on whether he worked alone and when he closed, police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. Police devoted scores of detectives to the case, he said.

"It's reasonable to assume he was going to keep doing this, and, by arresting him, we saved lives," Kelly said at a news conference.

Perrone, of Staten Island, was arrested on charges of murder. 

Detectives said they found the duffel bag at his girlfriend's home. Inside, they said, was a sawed-off rifle used in the killings, along with .22-caliber ammunition, black gloves, women's clothing, a bloody knife and a bottle of bleach.
The gun-rights folks love to ask what gun control laws would have prevented this or that specific crime.  Obviously that's a trick question with no answer.  But, if proper gun control laws were in effect, many people with his background would not be allowed to own guns.
Perrone was arrested in Franconia Township, Pa., in 2001 and charged with stalking, harassment, burglary and public drunkenness, but those charges were dropped when he pleaded guilty to a trespassing charge.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Stand Your Ground Disaster

David Hemenway writing for The Huffington Post
Have Stand Your Ground laws had some beneficial impact by allowing law-abiding citizens to protect themselves? The evidence doesn't show that. The Texas A&M study finds no evidence that Stand Your Ground laws deter crimes: rates of burglary, robbery and aggravated assault are unaffected by the laws. Instead, too often the law is used to protect criminals rather than innocent victims. In a review of the close to 200 Stand Your Ground cases heard in Florida courts since 2005, the Tampa Bay Times finds that most people who raise a Stand Your Ground defense have a criminal arrest record. Indeed, in more than 1/3rd of Florida Stand Your Ground defendants who killed someone have previously been arrested for threatening someone with a gun or illegally carrying a weapon. The law has been used to free gang members, drug dealers fighting with their clients, and perpetrators who shot their victim in the back. Indeed, in most of the Florida Stand Your Ground confrontations, the victim was not committing a crime that led to the confrontation, and was not armed.
Anyone with half-a-brain and a bit of honesty already knew this.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Accidental Shooting on Miami School Bus - Girl Dead, Boy Arrested

The Miami Herald reports

Lourdes Guzman-DeJesus hopped onto her bus Tuesday morning, but never made it to school. The cheery 13-year-old, who loved music, dancing and art, was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow student who had carried a gun onto the school bus. 

Miami-Dade police late Tuesday charged 15-year-old Jordyn Alexander Howe with manslaughter and carrying a concealed firearm.

On the way to school Tuesday, Jordyn pulled the gun out of his backpack and displayed it, according to an arrest affidavit. The gun went off once, striking Lourdes in the neck.
If we had proper gun control laws in place, we could see in a jiffy is young Jordyn had taken his daddy's gun, or maybe his older brother's.  But the way it is, we don't even ask the question. We'll probably charge the kid as an adult and put him away for a good long time to get some rehabilitation, and never even try to find out where the gun came from.

What's your opinion?  Please leave  a comment.

Wisconsin Deer Season Takes its Toll - On Hunters

Local news reports

A second deer hunter has died from an accidental shooting during Wisconsin’s nine-day gun season. Douglas County sheriff’s deputies said a man was accidentally shot by his hunting partner late the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 19. near Superior. 

Rescuers had to cut brush, so an all-terrain vehicle could reach the victim. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and his name was not immediately released. 

A 22-year-old man, Thomas Stamborski, also died after being shot while hunting at Fort McCoy on the season’s opening day. Stamborski was the first hunter to be shot in Wisconsin since 2009. 

The current deer season has claimed at least four lives. The Langlade County forestry director was found unresponsive in a wooded area near Gleason, and a Green Bay man died after falling from a tree stand west of Wausau.
Tree-stand deer hunting is one of the most pathetic ways I can think of to slaughter animals, but I certainly wouldn't wish anyone to die like that. The others are pathetic too, shooting each other, breaking the 4 Rules of Gun Safety at will.

It's pathetic, sick and pathetic.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

New Mexico Gun Shop Employee Shoots Customer by Accident - No Charges

Local news reports
A 65-year-old man is in stable condition Tuesday afternoon after being accidentally shot at a gun shop on Hudson Street in Silver City.

Silver City Police Chief Ed Reynolds said an employee at Copper County Sporting Arms was unloading a .45 caliber handgun when the weapon went off and hit the customer in the back. 

No names are being released at this time. The investigation is ongoing, Reynolds said, and it is unclear whether any charges will be filed.
It's unclear whether any charges will be filed, wink, wink.

Open Carry Confrontation with Philadelphia Cops


The reason some people open carry is to aggravate the cops and other folks who don't like it. More than most gun-rights issues this one brings out the immature side of some gun owners who, like rebellious teenagers, are doing it simply because they can.

In this case, our man did it so he could secretly film the cops making fools of themselves, which they certainly did. Now, is that a big victory for the gun-rights movement.  I think not.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Man with Gun at the Atlanta Airport

ajc.com reports

A man allegedly attempting to go through an X-ray machine at the Atlanta airport with a loaded handgun was arrested early Saturday, according to police.

Kelvin Jerome Simmons, 59, of Gainesville, was arrested and charged with carrying a weapon in an unauthorized location and booked into the Clayton County jail, booking records show. Simmons was released Sunday afternoon after posting bond.

Simmons allegedly had a 25-caliber handgun, with six bullets in it, inside a carry-on bag at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, according to police. He was detained by TSA agents and arrested.
This kind of forgetfulness is unacceptable. The same guy will forget there's a round in the chamber or that the gun was left within reach of a toddler.  No, I'm afraid it's One Strike You're Out for this guy.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

The Real Twilight Movie Shooting

Local news reports
Responding officers quickly learned the shooter was an off-duty corrections officer.

“He tells us that he’s walking up an aisle looking for a seat in the theater, while doing so he was adjusting his off-duty holster and somehow the strap came undone and the firearm discharged,” Stinson said. 

The bullet left a hole in an armrest and the floor and a woman said she was hit from shrapnel. Luckily, nobody was seriously hurt.

“It could have ricocheted off the floor, it could have directly hit someone,” Stinson said. 

The shooter’s gun was confiscated by police. It’s being tested to see if there were any mechanical errors. No charges have been filed.
This was not just a potential Twilight shooting like we had the other day, this was the real thing.

Why in the world would no charges have been filed? This was gross negligence, as the tests will surely bear out.  The chances of mechanical failure are so remote that they can be eliminated.  The determination is between unintentional or intentional, either of which should result in the arrest of the gun owner and the stripping of his gun rights.

What's your opinion?  Is holding gun owners responsible for the negligent actions wrong?

Please leave a comment.

Maine Hunter Shoots his Foot Off

Local news reports
A hunter is recovering after accidentally shooting himself in the foot.

According to the Maine Warden Service 37-year-old Andrew Knight, of Rome, was returning from the woods Saturday when he rested his 12-gauge shotgun on his left foot.

Knight told officials the gun then discharged, firing a shot into his foot.
Gun-rights folks always accuse us of fearing inanimate objects, but when it suits their purposes, they say things like "the gun discharged."  The truth is we don't fear inanimate objects, but they love to blame them instead of the man.

Guns don't discharge by themselves.  So this irresponsible and reckless guy made at least two mistakes.  That's always the case. Whenever someone is hurt in a so-called gun accident, at least two of the 4 Rules of Gun Safety have been violated.

The reason One Strike You're Out must apply to cases like this is in all probability, this was not his very first act of negligence, he's 37-years-old, he's been doing stuff like this his whole life. Placing the muzzle of a loaded weapon on your foot is an unacceptable breach of safety.  Unless a guy like this is disarmed, this will probably not be his last.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Monday, November 19, 2012

5 Types of People Who Should not Own Firearms


 I definitely have to redo The Famous 10%. Even this pro-gun guy has accounted for more than that.

Guns are Flying off the Shelves in Hawaii

Local news reports
Gun store owners on the island said they have seen a major increase of people trying to buy guns. At the X-Ring Security and Firearms store rifles are flying off the shelves.

Brian Takaba said sales have doubled with four times more customers searching for guns.
"There's been a definite increase right after the election," said Takaba.

He said it is because many gun owners think President Barack Obama will ban guns especially assault rifles.

Obama's good for business, no question about that.

Controversial Coyote Hunting in New Mexico

Local news reports
A gun store-sponsored competition in which hunters shoot and kill as many coyotes as they can has sparked outrage among activists in New Mexico who have called it a “heinous killing contest.”

Animal Protection of New Mexico posted a petition on its website, rallying against the contest, which is sponsored by Gunhawk Firearms of Los Lunas.

“The organizers of the contest have consistently claimed that any criticism of this event is an infringement upon gun-ownership rights and hunting privileges,” Animal Protection of New Mexico wrote on its website. “However, on our petition against the contest, over a third of signees have self-identified as gun owners, and a tenth are hunters or anglers.”
In a paroxysm of hypocrisy, the gun shop sponsoring the event had this to say.
“They survive in the wild by killing what they can, including livestock and pets,” Rex Wilson, president of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, told The Associated Press. “The people protesting this contest have obviously never seen a calf chewed up by a coyote, or watched a mama sheep try to revive a dead lamb.”
When they slaughter deer, it's because otherwise the poor animals would starve to death. When they slaughter coyotes or rattlesnakes, it's because they're dangerous pests.

My theory is they just like the slaughter.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Cenk on the Latest Israeli-Palestinian Violence

Dan Gross on the Impotence of the NRA

Huffington Post

The NRA's bark was certainly loud, but its bite was toothless.

The facts are staggering. In all, less than 1 percent (actually 0.81 percent) of the (inaptly-named) NRA Political Victory Fund's political spending was spent in support of winning candidates. The NRA spent more than $100,000 in each of seven Senate races; its candidate lost in six of those seven. Not many House incumbents lost -- 26 as of last Tuesday -- but more than two-thirds of losing candidates (18 in all) had the NRA's support.

2012 is hardly the first election to prove that the NRA is not the political force it pretends to be. Paul Waldman analyzed NRA influence in federal elections from 2004-2010 and found that "NRA contributions to candidates have virtually no impact on the outcome of Congressional races." 

Waldman also disproved the widely-repeated claims that the NRA was key to the GOP's takeover of the House in 1994, and to the 2000 presidential race. When one looks at the facts, it is clear that both races turned on partisan politics, not guns.

To those of us who study the facts, it is not surprising that the NRA is so ineffective delivering votes against candidates who support common sense gun laws. After all, the vast majorities of NRA members and other gun owners support the common sense gun laws that the NRA vehemently opposes. So no matter how many millions the NRA spends to tell gun owners that their freedom is at stake in an election, not many are buying it.

Florida 3-Year-old Dead Playing With Gun - Incredibly No Charges

Local news reports
A 3-year-old toddler died Sunday morning after he accidentally shot himself.

The boy was in his Port Charlotte home where he found an unsecured gun, pulled the trigger shot himself, according Charlotte County police.

The boy was taken to the hospital by medical rescue where he was later pronounced dead.

Detectives have interviewed the boy’s parents and no charges have been filed at this time.
Whaaat? Are you kiddin' me? No charges?

What the hell is wrong with these people? Do they need a lengthy investigation before deciding if the gun owner who left the gun unsecured was at fault? 

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Missouri Hunting Accident - 1 Dead

Local news reports

Authorities say a man was killed in a hunting accident Sunday morning in Reynolds County. 

According to Reynolds County Sheriff Tom Volner, Sunday morning around 7:30 , a group of hunters went out to hunt in the Lesterville area.

Volner says as they went out, the hunters spread out on their own.  According to the sheriff, the  50-year-old hunter was shot and killed by another hunter in his group from about 50 to 75 yards away.  

Sheriff Volner says the 50-year-old man was not wearing any orange attire and had a white beard. Volner says the shooting is not being considered suspicious and was purely accidental.
Are they saying it was considered an accident BECAUSE the victim was not wearing orange clothing? Is that why the shooter was excused for his gross negligence?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Mississippi Couple Arrested after Accidental Shooting

Local news reports
Harrison County Sheriff Melvin Brisolara says that after a woman apparently shot her 47-year-old father and 2-year-old son by accident, a deputy investigating the shooting was injured by fumes from a meth lab in her home.

20-year-old Jessica Amanda Saucier and her 18-year-old boyfriend, Walter Edward Franklin III, were charged with felony child neglect and their bonds set at $100,000. It was not clear whether they had lawyers.

Maj. Ron Pullen says Saucier told deputies her shotgun went off while she was loading or unloading it during target practice. The blast hit the vehicle in which her child and father were sitting, critically injuring the child and hitting her father's face.
In Mississippi that's just the way things go. If you're gonna shoot your kid by accident you better not have a meth lab in the house if you expect to get away with the shooting.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Indiana Work Place Shooting 2 Dead in Murder-Suicide

SF Gate reports

Peggy Hicks doesn't understand why her husband, Anthony Hicks Sr., 45, (pictured left) was fatally shot Friday night by one of his co-workers, 44-year-old Alonzo Laws of Indianapolis, who took his own life after the killing.


She said her husband knew Laws but had never mentioned having any problems with him.

Witnesses told police Hicks was in the plant's break room when Laws entered, made eye contact with him and left without speaking to Hicks. Laws then allegedly returned with a gun and shot Hicks while the victim had his back turned at a vending machine.

Police spokesman Officer Michael Hewitt said Laws fired several shots at Hicks. He said Laws then shot himself in the head.
In Indiana, anybody can get a gun. That's where the thousands of guns used in Chicago crime come from, in large part. Of course, one mentally ill person like Alonzo would have no problem, regardless of his mental health or criminal record.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Lawful Gun Owner Plans Aurora-Type Attack - Arrested

The Ottawa Citizen reports
A 20-year-old man is in jail in southwest Missouri on Friday on charges he planned a mass shooting at a theatre during the showing Sunday of the new movie Twilight.

Blaec Lammers told police in Bolivar, Mo., that he bought two assault rifles and 400 rounds of ammunition with the intent of carrying out a shooting that would be similar to one that killed 12 people and wounded 58 during a Batman movie premier in Aurora, Colorado, last July.

Police announced Lammers’ arrest on Friday. He was arrested Thursday and charged in state court with making a terrorist threat, armed criminal action and first degree assault, records show. He is being held on $500,000 bond.

Lammers’ mother alerted police on Thursday that her son and bought weapons similar to those suspect James Holmes allegedly used in the Aurora shooting, Bolivar police detective Dustin Ross said in a sworn statement to the court.

The biased spin doctors over at TTAG are all excited about the fantasy that young Mr. Lammars was heading to the theater BECAUSE it was a gun free zone and he'd be able to kill people like sitting ducks.

Nothing could be further from the truth. He himself admitted the reason, it was to imitate the Aurora Colorado shooter, James Holmes.

The real story here is that someone as sick as this guy was able to legally buy guns. He was a lawful gun owner, as was Holmes, who was so unfit to own them safely that the most basic examination into his mental health might have been able to raise red flags.

Licensing of gun owners, which would include an exhaustive mental health background check combined with a "may issue" policy, is the only way to weed out these dangerous characters.  We can't depend on their mothers dropping a dime.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Cenk Interviews Colorado Gun Shop Owner


Isn't it funny how the guy kept saying "as souvenirs" and "for investment?"

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.