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In reply to the discussion: Conn. man kills masked boy, finds out it's his son [View all]obamanut2012
(26,068 posts)174. You never, ever fire a warning shot
And are taught not to, whether you are a civilian gun owner, a cop, or military. You should only fire if you are in immediate danger of grievous bodily injury or death, or are protecting someone from same; warning shots can harm bystanders; that is considered brandishing and is a felony (the latter is for civilians only).
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The 'multiple' gungeoneers who are 'suddenly' responding to this post are wasting their time.
onehandle
Sep 2012
#241
My sympathies extend to the mother of this child. The father should get life in prison.
Happyhippychick
Sep 2012
#10
For what crime? The kid burglarized the house of a woman and was armed. nt
geek tragedy
Sep 2012
#11
Is he a cop? No. This vigilante shit is not good. And we don't know the kid was armed.
Happyhippychick
Sep 2012
#18
He should be able to protect himself but it wasn't HIS house. It was the neighbor.
Happyhippychick
Sep 2012
#45
I''m sure the man who just killed his son doesn't believe this any longer.
Happyhippychick
Sep 2012
#55
i dont know this town but were i live it can take the popo forever to arrive
loli phabay
Sep 2012
#26
I tell my neighbours if something's wrong at night, call the police and then call me.
Prometheus Bound
Sep 2012
#123
Sympathies should go out to everyone. A father who killed a prowler who just happened to be his own
madinmaryland
Sep 2012
#14
Yes. The son could have not tried to break in to that woman's house
4th law of robotics
Sep 2012
#94
I don't have a lot of sympathy for idiots who get killed while breaking and entering
4th law of robotics
Sep 2012
#115
I haven't seen anything to indicate he actually has a mother to monitor his behavior.
LisaL
Sep 2012
#194
I am going to note this in the gun thread I am currently arguing against
graham4anything
Sep 2012
#17
It appears you don't don't know anything about the mechanics or legalities or morality....
PavePusher
Oct 2012
#266
I want to know how long between the call & the shooting. Also, what else occurred? Lights turned on?
patrice
Sep 2012
#130
The dead son who was apparently attempting to commit a crime in the middle of the night...
PavePusher
Sep 2012
#209
I'm fairly heartless here. Guy grabs gun and shoots first, without a warning or questioning?
dorksied
Sep 2012
#37
Yes. We need to know more about what happened in the confrontation.How long from encounter to death?
patrice
Sep 2012
#133
Sympathies to the victims mother.....she lost a son and has a complete moron for a husband
AnOhioan
Sep 2012
#42
Why the mask? Was he planning on assaulting the woman, and did not want to be identified?
Tom Ripley
Sep 2012
#47
He would still be innocent until proven guilty. You don't execute people for what they MIGHT do.
patrice
Sep 2012
#138
I concur. If the story is accurate (and that's a big if) it sounds just like addict behavior.
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#98
Still doesn't justify summary execution. There has to be authentic danger to life or health. nt
patrice
Sep 2012
#139
I will take that as an assent, then, that we should shoot people for what they MIGHT do, BEFORE
patrice
Sep 2012
#147
It really does depend on whether someone is rushing at you with an apparent weapon
FiveGoodMen
Sep 2012
#151
Yes, like the Trayvon Martin case, how far away was this threat? Was he rushing? Even if he was
patrice
Sep 2012
#160
Yeah, I'm not taking a side on this case. I don't know enough of what really happened.
FiveGoodMen
Sep 2012
#161
I'm not either, unlike some in this thread, NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION. And yet we are to believe
patrice
Sep 2012
#163
Funny how people who preach personal responsibility are so slavish about rules WHEN IT SERVES
patrice
Sep 2012
#185
That is an intentional mischaracterization. Not all threats are to kill & you don't think anyonehas
patrice
Sep 2012
#162
I don't believe "should" is accurate. It's legally justifiable to shoot people if you REASONABLY...
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#166
How much damage do you insist I take before allowing me the possiblity of being at severe risk?
PavePusher
Sep 2012
#211
I live out in the woods too, and you're right, when you need someone there NOW, it can take the
Brickbat
Sep 2012
#65
I live in a suburb of a major city, and if the police get here in 20 minutes you're lucky
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#67
I have been high and dressed in black many times, but never while also wearing a ski mask and...
Tom Ripley
Sep 2012
#197
Either that, or you can fertilize the lawn with the father's official story...
Blue_Tires
Sep 2012
#69
And of course we also have the typical knee-jerk reactions from cop haters and gun haters...
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#84
That's what I was just going to say. "Lawn order is all fucked up in this country. Arm yourselves!"
patrice
Sep 2012
#144
he, he, old joke from the '60s, but I'm gonna have to go look "sward" up, you got
patrice
Oct 2012
#270
Do you think it's more likely the father just murdered his son for no reason
4th law of robotics
Sep 2012
#97
That makes more sense than a dope-head teenager making stupid decisons and getting himself killed
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#101
That's because the only people who tout the glories of guns are people who don't like guns
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#72
That's because you read selectively, and have a strong bias against people who own and use guns
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#75
I have made several concrete suggestions for that dozens of times on DU, and they rarely get noticed
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#82
Thank you. I ALWAYS appreciate a courteous, rational discussion with people even if we disagree.
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#104
Those are all very good suggestions. But the gun issue, like this case, is a hot-button issue.
freshwest
Sep 2012
#240
K, but someone is carrying a gun, ergo, there is a probability that something COULD happen that the
patrice
Sep 2012
#149
The fact that she didn't call 911 could also mean she didn't think it that serious. If she had
patrice
Sep 2012
#148
Obviously she and the police are all part of a conspiracy to murder that poor child
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#102
Do you think the police could have gotten to her house more quickly than her next-door neighbor?
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#109
You believe the police would NOT have shot a masked person lunging at them while clutching...
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#111
It isn't necessarily about the cops using firearms, but also about their LEGAL capacity to deal
patrice
Sep 2012
#150
True. When the police call was made is a question. That information isn't in the story. nt
patrice
Sep 2012
#159
People who aren't cops have a legal right to defend themselves in a dangerous situation
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#171
No one's disputing that. The question is: do they have a personal responsibility to assess how
patrice
Sep 2012
#180
I don't know how easy that is but I bet the dad wishes he didn't shoot at all now. /nt
Ash_F
Sep 2012
#131
Every firearm class I've taken has stressed aiming for center of mass, but to shoot only...
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#142
+++1 Even if you miss, you express serious intent that will mean something significant to yourtarget
patrice
Sep 2012
#153
Another thing to consider is that shooting someone in the leg could still quickly kill them.
Ash_F
Sep 2012
#158
My CCW instructor said if you pull your gun, you are committing to killing
obamanut2012
Sep 2012
#258
If you walk into a courtroom with that, the prosecution will be very happy with you.
PavePusher
Oct 2012
#265
There are plenty of cases where someone defended themselves with a gun without shooting.
Ash_F
Sep 2012
#245
the weapon was a knife that was still in the kid's hand when police arrived
TorchTheWitch
Sep 2012
#248
I tentatively believe it, because I have no other source of hard information about the event
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#145
It's at least as possible that he could have shot his sister, isn't it? Even if one just has to
patrice
Sep 2012
#156
Everyone who owns a gun should understand the basic rules of safe gun handling
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#188
What he did is legal in Texas. The two thieves he killed knew they were risking their lives.
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#253
I am appalled at all the people who are implying that the son deserved it
Lydia Leftcoast
Sep 2012
#214
Not one reply in this entire thread suggests that burglary calls for summary execution
slackmaster
Sep 2012
#217
A person with a knife attacked a man, who then defended himself with a firearm.
PavePusher
Sep 2012
#249
According to the Hartford Courant article: "Opened fire...shot multiple times"
Lydia Leftcoast
Sep 2012
#251
P.S. Someone attacking another person with a knife is NOT a "possible threat"....
PavePusher
Oct 2012
#267