A Beverly man fatally shot himself with a rented pistol in front of several witnesses yesterday afternoon inside Bob’s Tactical Shooting Range & Gun Shop on Route 1, police say, resulting in the store immediately revising its gun rental policy.
According to police Chief Thomas Fowler, the 32-year-old man, whose name was not released by police, rented a Glock semi-automatic handgun from the range around noon and shot himself once in the head. The shooting was witnessed by at least a half-dozen people and caught on videotape.
Bob’s Tactical Shooting Range touts itself as the only indoor shooting range in the state. In addition to allowing access to an indoor shooting range, the business also sells firearms, ammunition and offers gun safety courses. Visitors can rent semi-automatic handguns like the one used in yesterday’s shooting, revolvers and rifles for $10, according to its website.
Fowler said in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the store has changed its rental policy and will no longer allow individuals to rent guns. Those looking to rent guns must be with another person, according to Fowler.
Yesterday’s fatal shooting was the second presumed suicide at the Route 1 gun range in three years. In February 2011, 60-year-old Hingham man visited the business and shot himself to death. His body was discovered around 6 p.m. on the night of Feb. 23. According to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, the man was not an employee of the range.For ten bucks any maniac can walk in and rent a gun? And it took the second suicide for them to change the policy?
What's wrong with these gun people?
What is wrong with these gun people? Caving in to your demands, that's what. Renting a gun is a good way to test out a model before buying it. Gun store owners aren't typically psychologists, and being suicidal doesn't usually show up on background checks.
ReplyDeleteThere is only one person responsible for what happened here, and he's beyond your ability to punish now. That's really what this is about, isn't it. You need someone to punish for having the gall to use a firearm.
Well then why did the gun shop change its policy?
DeleteI told you. You people whine and moan and put pressure on businesses, and since this one is in the slave state of Massachusetts, it caved in.
DeleteProbably to prevent copycat suicides--few people will bring a friend along and commit suicide in front of them.
DeleteDon't you want it to be fairly easy for people to rent guns so they don't feel the need to buy them?
ReplyDeleteRenting a gun should require a background check. That would screen out some of the nuts and all of the disqualified criminals.
DeleteWhat does a criminal background check have to do with being suicidal?
DeleteIf someone likes shooting sports, but decides to rent guns instead of owning them in their home, they are likely to get fed up with waiting for a background check to clear everytime they go to the range. Especially after a couple of times where the system is bogged down, and they end up waiting way too long. They might just say, "screw it, I need to get my own gun."
Calling it a "criminal background check" is a spin job on your part. That's what you're best at, TS.
DeleteThe NICS also includes mental health records, does it not?
Pro-gun people often use the argument, that criminals will get guns whether it's legal or not. Then what is the point of a background check?
DeleteBecause the pro-gun argument that "criminals will get guns whether it's legal or not" is wrong. The more difficult we make it for unfit people to get guns the fewer of them will do so.
DeleteHow is it wrong? Drugs are completely illegal, yet I can walk down the street and in less than 5 minutes purchase them, and I live in a small NH town. Prohibition has never solved anything.
Delete"For ten bucks any maniac can walk in and rent a gun? And it took the second suicide for them to change the policy?"
ReplyDeleteMike, while the article says its the second suicide in three years, they don't mention that the previous one used a rented firearm. Judging by the speed at which they've implemented the mentioned safety measure, it was likely the first with a rental.
Yeah, and it's also a good bet that there've been other incidents that haven't made the news.
DeleteAre we talking at this range? Thinking they just hide the body behind the bullet trap? Or are we talking similar suicides at other ranges? If you do a basic search, you'll find a number of them.
DeleteIs it a common occurrence? Not compared to the overall number of suicides. And no I'm not saying that suicide is acceptable. I don't believe that incidents like this don't make the news because of the old newspaper paradigm "If it bleeds, it leads".
No, I meant other incidents, like near misses, attempted but failed suicides. How about the negligent discharges that don't make the news? And there must be frequent dangerous behavior that doesn't result in even a shot being fired, but demands the intervention of the staff. The point is this: where there are guns there are dangerous incidents of gun misuse. The more guns the more problems.Gun ranges would do well to enforce every possible restriction. This could be a metaphor for the gun rights vs. gun control debate, the gun range being a tiny microcosm of the larger situation.
Deletehe wasn't a gun person. or a maniac. nor was he a poor excuse for a human being like you are.
ReplyDeleteThe point of my post is that he shouldn't have been allowed to rent a gun. Sorry for using the word maniac, I suppose you knew him.
DeleteAnd where is the list of suicidal people who wouldn't pass a background check?
DeleteMany of them are already known with the mental health reporting system, as limited as it is.
DeleteProve it. And then prove that it's your right to decide for those people.
DeleteGreg....you are spot on. the author of this post and article has obviously never seen or dealt with depression.
Delete"Many of them are already known with the mental health reporting system, as limited as it is."
DeleteAbsolutely ridiculous nonsense. The vast majority of people who commit suicide are not known to any kind of mental health system what so ever.
Most of the people who suffer from any kind of psychological illness, you will never know that they do. People you know suffer from it, without you ever finding out. That is a fact.
Not that I disagree that it's way too easy to get hold of a gun. I was only commenting on that particular statement.
DeleteI don't know what percentage of suicidal people are known to the system, and neither do you. I said many and I'll stick with it. You've got to figure that among suicidal people you've got the worst of the worst cases, which would be known. They're certainly not all otherwise normal people suffering from a little depression. Many of them are raving lunatics who've been institutionalized in the past.
DeleteAll we are doing is speculating. I feel deep sadness for this young man, his family and friends. Bob felt the need to change his policy.
ReplyDelete