GUNS IN THE NEWS--September 15, 2004

[MrBenchley]

As CO Liberal sez:
Please try to adhere to the following voluntary guidelines, in order that we can have an orderly discussion of gun-related news topics:
1 - Feel free to add any CURRENT stories to this thread by replying to this message. In order to be considered current, stories should have been originally posted on the Internet within the previous 24 hours, or provide follow-up to a story that was previously posted on the J/PS board. EXCEPTION: On Mondays (since many people do not log in to DU over the weekend), stories can be posted from Saturday, Sunday, or Monday.
2 - Both pro-gun and anti-gun stories, editorials, and press releases are welcome in this thread, as long as they're current. Please do not post links to items from a few years back that support your position.
3 - Bear in mind that any links to extremely right-wing sites (such as Newsmax, CNS, or the Washington Times) or intentionally pro-gun or pro-control sites (such as the NRA or the Brady Campaign) are not considered reliable sources by many DU-ers. If at all possible, try to find a link for your story from a more mainstream source, such as a general-circulation newspaper or magazine site. If you choose to use a slanted site, be prepared for any negative feedback you may receive.
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5 - Do not change story titles. In other words, if the Oskosh Gazette's web site runs a story titled "Two Killed in Holdup", the title of your message should read "Two Killed in Holdup". Don't change it to "Gun Owner Kills Two People", or anything else that changes the meaning of the story.
6 - If it's not clear from the title where the story occurred, add the city, state, or country in parentheses after the title.
7 - The person adding a news story to the "GITN" thread is allowed (and encouraged) to comment on that story, indicating their position on the topic being discussed. These comments can appear either at the beginning or end of the post; if possible, place comments in a different typeface so readers can separate the comments from the story. Others who wish to comment on a posted story can do so by replying to that story; this allows other readers to follow the comments by scrolling through the subthread.
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9 - If you object to these guidelines (or the basic concept of the "Guns In The News" thread), do everyone else a favor and go to another thread.

[MrBenchley]

1. Victims of the gun lobby

"It did not matter that 87 percent of Americans in a January Gallup survey said they wanted gun laws either to stay the same or become more strict. It did not matter that 86 percent of respondents in a November CBS poll said the same thing. It did not matter that 78 percent of Americans in a November Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll said they wanted the assault weapons ban to stay intact. It does not matter that police chiefs all over the United States wanted the ban to stay.
The people and not even the police matter when the National Rifle Association opens fire on Capitol Hill. Only two days after the nation noted the third anniversary of Sept. 11 and the murders of nearly 3,000 Americans by a foreign terrorist network, Congress turned right around and invited an increase in local terror.
On the stump, Vice President Dick Cheney blasts foreign terrorists who "mean to do everything they can to destroy our way of life." On the podium, vice presidential challenger John Edwards warns terrorists, "You cannot run, you cannot hide, we will destroy you." Yet a Democratic Party that is running scared and a Republican Party that is hiding behind protocol let the NRA do everything it could to destroy the ban in a nation where nearly 30,000 lives a year are destroyed by guns, 10 times more than 9/11.
The NRA website proudly celebrated the death of the ban by praising "the tireless efforts of millions of NRA members and tens of millions of American gun owners over the past 10 years." There can be no mistake that those tens of millions of gun owners were backed by tens of millions of dollars."

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/09/15/victims_of_the_gun_lobby/

[anonymous44]

21. now how many of those

are gang or drug related?

[MrBenchley]

2. Role of Guns Spreads Ugly Net (PA)

"NO ONE IN law enforcement is shocked that Anthony Oliver Jr. died at age 14 on a basement floor from a bullet fired by a friend.
The .25-caliber gun that killed Anthony the night of July 23 has been traced to a "straw purchaser," someone with no criminal record who buys guns and then resells them on the street.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The serial number was still on the gun. ATF is attempting to trace the gun from the straw purchaser to Quamere, and also find the six other guns.
In 2002, a bill to limit purchases to one gun a month was introduced in Harrisburg, but was not passed. City Council tried to push for the measure again earlier this year, but the city's hands are tied since gun laws have to be approved by the Legislature."

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/9666538.htm

Wonder who could possibly oppose a common sense measure like that? Oh yeah, the gun lobby.

[21stcentprogressive]

3. Glad to see you are back, Benchley, I have not seen you all week and was

afraid you had been gunned down by an assault weapon. I started a separate GITN thread for all the stories from the impending bloodbath due to all the assault weapons now flooding the neighborhoods, you might want to edit your thread to direct all these stories over there.

I know there will be a many stories, although it has been pretty slow so far. Still, better to give them their own thread than overwhelm the regular GITN with it.

[MrBenchley]

4. Always interesting to see that for the trigger happy

more than a hundred thousand Americans shot a year isn't a "bloodbath".

Guess that's that RKBA "logic" or whatever the fuck it is. Sure glad I don't have a speck of it.

[FeebMaster]

16. I agree.

It is good to have you back. I missed you.

[JeremyN]

26. Actually it is tragic

That this many people are shot per year. I think "bloodbath" is kind of a sensationalist word for this context. More than half of those people being shot are actually criminals themselves interestingly enough. I don't think that makes it ok or anything but I find it an interesting tidbit.

Around 400,000 people die each year from medical mistakes. Is that a bloodbath? What about the people who are stabbed with knives, or beat with a bludgeoning weapon of some kind? Only about 10% of violent crimes involve guns and in only about 20% of the ones that do is the gun actually brandished or used.

What would you say to the good Americans that each day prevent over 500 rapes, over 1000 murders, and over 5000 other violent crimes each day with a personally owned firearm?

[MrBenchley]

5. Band teacher pleads guilty in guns case (TX)

Yeah, having fuckwits like this sell assault weapons again is such a good idea...NOT.

"LAREDO, Texas A former licensed firearms dealer and high school band teacher in Laredo pleaded guilty today in a weapons case.
Prosecutors say 33-year-old Jose Luis Gonzalez pleaded guilty over the 2001 sale of two semiautomatic pistols -- without maintaining proper documentation.
Investigators claim Gonzalez sold 86 guns illegally, without maintaining proper records such as the name, age and residence of the buyers.
He pleaded guilty to one count of the indictment."

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2301256

[MrBenchley]

6. Man died from gunshot (PA)

"An Altoona man found dead Monday in his Eighth Avenue apartment died after someone shot him in the head, Blair County Deputy Coroner Jeff Guyer said Tuesday.
The finding came during an autopsy Tuesday on the body of Starson Walker, 23, of 2214 Eighth Ave., Guyer said. The autopsy was performed at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown by forensic pathologist Dr. Sara Lee Funke."

http://www.altoonamirror.com/articles.asp?ID=11821

[MrBenchley]

7. Three Killed In Willowbrook Shooting After Accident (IL)

"WILLOWBROOK, Ill. (CBS 2) Police in southwest suburban Willowbrook are investigating what they believe was a traffic accident that led to a shooting.
That shooting left three men dead.
The shootings took place Tuesday night around 9:20 p.m., Police Cmdr. Mark Shelton said.
Police say they believe the shooting happened following a traffic accident on the Kingery Highway."

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_259074019.html

[MrBenchley]

8. Fort Riley soldier killed in shooting in Clay County (KS)

registration required--and then they'll know where you are

"CLAY CENTER, Kan. - A soldier from Fort Riley was killed and another person was in critical condition following a shooting at a rural residence west of the military installation, officials said Tuesday.
The Clay County Sheriff's Department said the shooting took place overnight. Sam Robinson, a spokeswoman for Fort Riley, said four soldiers and a spouse were involved in the shooting. Identities were not released, pending notification of family.
Robinson said the soldiers were all members of the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, which has about 800 soldiers currently in Iraq. The unit is serving it's second tour in Iraq, but she sad it was unclear if the soldiers involved in the shooting had been deployed or were part of the rear detachment that remains at Fort Riley."


http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/9661320.htm

[MrBenchley]

9. Man wanted in Williamston shooting killed after eight-hour standoff (SC)

"PIERCETOWN, S.C. - A man wanted for questioning in the fatal shooting of a Williamston man has been killed during a standoff with sheriff's deputies.
Michael Davis, 40, was found dead outside a home around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday after deputies fired shots and ended a nearly eight-hour standoff, authorities said.
Anderson County sheriff's deputies had been searching for Davis since Monday evening when 37-year-old Tim Haynes was found shot to death outside his home.
Deputies cornered Davis inside a mobile home around 1 p.m. Tuesday after a helicopter spotted his car partially hidden near a barn on the property."

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/9665463.htm

Wonder how much this celebration of the Second Amendment cost taxpayers?

[MrBenchley]

10. Teenager injured in South Side drive-by shooting (NY)

"A 17-year-old Syracuse youth was shot in the back Tuesday in a drive-by shooting on the city's South Side, Syracuse police said.
Arthur Bullock, of 451 Wilkinson St., was shot once about 3:50 p.m. Tuesday as he stood in the 200 block of Hudson Street near Bellevue Avenue, said Sgt. Tom Connellan of the Syracuse police.
He was talking to some people and his back was to the intersection, Connellan said. "

http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/policeblotter-0/1095240001164420.xml

[MrBenchley]

11. UPDATE: Man Arrested in drive-by shooting of child (TN)

"Police arrested 20-year-old Matthew Henry Jackson, III of Knoxville on Tuesday, and charged him with three counts of attempted first degree murder.
Twelve-year-old Kori Holland was on her way home from the Tennessee Valley Fair and was crossing Jefferson Avenue with her teenage brother when the shots rang out. The two siblings were only one block from home when a stray bullet hit Kori's abdomen.
A second victim of the shooting, 27-year-old Robert Campbell, was treated for a leg wound and released."

http://www.wbir.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=19834

[MrBenchley]

12. Two held in daylight shootings in front of kids (CO)

"Two suspects wanted in connection with a double murder Sunday in west Denver have been arrested in Texas, police said this afternoon.
Police arrested Aaron Joseph Bernal and Joann Yvette Redwillow, suspected in the murder of Tiffany Witter, 19, and Christopher Skipwith, 23, who were both gunned down as they came out of Witter's house on Sunday.
The murders took place in the middle of the day as children were playing nearby."

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2401255,00.html

[MrBenchley]

13. Man in jail after officer shot (FL)

registration required
"A Miami Gardens man was arrested Tuesday on charges he tried to kill a policewoman by firing on her with an assault rifle after a shooting incident at a fundraising party Sunday morning.
Police say Holt got into a quarrel Sunday morning with someone and fired shots at a fundraising party for a Miami Gardens youth football team that his son plays on.
When Hubert pulled the car over at 184th Terrace and North Miami Avenue, the driver stepped out, opened fire and then sped away, police said.
Hubert took cover behind her car and seconds later, it caught fire and exploded, police said. She was not injured by the blaze, police said."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/9664024.htm

[MrBenchley]

14. Mike takes shot at W over guns (NY)

"Mayor Bloomberg took dead aim yesterday at Congress' decision to let the assault-weapons ban expire - and even took a rare shot at President Bush.
"I think every congressman and every senator has a responsibility to stand up," Bloomberg told reporters. "And I think the President can do more."
"These guns are designed to kill people," he added. "And they have no business, under any part of the Constitution, of being on the streets of our cities and even in the countryside."
Bush is on record supporting an extension of the ban. But critics charge he did little to push the GOP-controlled House and Senate into action. A White House spokesman yesterday blamed the ban's expiration on Congress. "

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/232139p-199367c.html

Funny how all these pro-assault weapons Republicans are all hiding behind this procedural crap, isn't it? It's almost as if they knew how idiotic they would sound trying to peddle the horseshit our "pro gun democrats" keep trying to unload here.

[MrBenchley]

15. Woman killed at Durham business (NC)

"DURHAM -- An employee of a Cash Advance store at North Duke Crossing shopping center was shot dead Tuesday evening at the business.
Priscilla A. Mason, 28, who worked at the First American Cash Advance was pronounced dead at the scene, Durham Police spokesman David Addison. said
Police said they were trying to determine a motive for the shooting.
Addison said officers responded to a call of armed robbery at 3600 North Duke St. at 5:34 p.m. He said when they got there, they found Mason who had had been shot dead "within the business.""

http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1637519p-7858767c.html

[MrBenchley]

17. Teen girl shot, injured outside Virginia Beach homes

"VIRGINIA BEACH – A teenage girl was injured by gunfire Tuesday evening.
Police and rescue crews were called at 10:18 p.m. to the 3600 block of Sylvan Lane, in the Manchester Village complex in Green Run, for report of a firearms violation, said police spokesman Brian Ricardo.
They arrived to find a girl suffering from a head wound, he said. She apparently had been standing outside when the shots were fired. "

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=75580&ran=64371

[MrBenchley]

18. Two men shot in Norfolk home; two suspects sought

"Around 10:50 a.m. police were called to a home in the 900 block of Madison Ave., said Officer Chris Amos, police spokesman. They found the two victims in the home, he said.
Both were taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
Two suspects were believed to have fled on foot, he said. "

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=75583&ran=232500

[MrBenchley]

19. Guilty plea in school gunfire (MD)

"Tyrone Devon Brown, 23, acknowledged in court that he opened fire into a crowd of students after a charity basketball game at the school May 7. Prosecutors said during the court hearing that Brown then passed the handgun to a Randallstown student, Matthew Timothy McCullough, 17, who is accused of continuing to shoot into the crowd.
Four students were injured, one so seriously that he remains in a wheelchair. That student's aunt said she was pleased that Brown "won't be able to hurt anyone else."
"Something hideous like this should never happen to anyone," said Ann R. Godwin, William "Tippa" Thomas' aunt. "We're still numb from the whole ordeal."
Brown's guilty plea came during a motions hearing in Baltimore County Circuit Court in which McCullough's lawyers asked that his charges be handled by the Department of Juvenile Services. Also, lawyers for McCullough and the third defendant, Antonio R. Jackson, 21, asked prosecutors to provide them with witnesses' addresses - something the state has been reluctant to do because, they said, witnesses are "petrified." "

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.randallstown15sep15,1,6373396.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

[MrBenchley]

20. Man found shot to death in Starr home (SC)

"STARR, S.C. - A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder after his mother found a man shot to death in her home here.
The woman who owned the mobile home found Robert Wayne Wilburn, 37, dead in the living room around 7 a.m. Tuesday, Anderson County deputies said.
Wilburn died overnight of a single gunshot wound to the head, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore."

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/9665461.htm

[MrBenchley]

22. CH man killed in Surry; wife charged with murder (VA)

"SURRY - Authorities have charged a 49-year-old Colonial Heights woman with first-degree murder in the Monday shooting death of her husband, Orbrey Cotton Boothe, a well-known resident and retired veteran of city law enforcement.
Deborah Boothe, 49, was arrested late Monday and charged with murder and a firearms count in connection with the reported slaying of her spouse, said Surry County Sheriff's Deputy R. Lane.
The wife called police at 6 a.m. Monday and stated that her husband had been shot at their Surry residence, a second home where the family vacationed on weekends and where Orbrey Boothe ran a small salvage shop, according to sources familiar with the case.
Police arrived on scene and found the husband, in his late 50s, dead from a single gunshot wound, leading to Mrs. Boothe's arrest. All other information was being withheld yesterday pending an ongoing investigation, said Lane."

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12928067&BRD=2271&PAG=461&dept_id=462946&rfi=6

[MrBenchley]

23. Man killed in apparent domestic shooting (OH)

"SARDINIA - A Sardinia man was shot and killed shortly before sunrise this morning here in what Brown County investigators believe was a domestic shooting.
Police were withholding the man's name Wednesday until they identified him and notified his family of the shooting, which occurred around 6:39 a.m. at 9342 Katterman Road near Sardinia."

http://www.enquirer.com/midday/09/09162004_News_mday_browncoshooting16.html

[MrBenchley]

24. Attempted murder charge filed in shooting (MN)

"A St. Paul man faces attempted murder charges and a 40-year-old Forest Lake man remains in critical condition at Regions Hospital, St. Paul, after being shot early Saturday morning here.
Ronald A. Class remained on life-support after being struck once in the upper abdomen with a bullet from a small caliber handgun at his place of residence, 21183 Everton Ave. The shooting took place at 2:19 a.m., Chief of Police Clark Quiring said.
Quiring said police and medical personnel responded to a 911 call from the victim. The chief said the victim identified the shooter to 911 dispatchers, ambulance personnel and police officers on the scene."

http://www.forestlaketimes.com/2004/September/15915FLcharges.html

[MrBenchley]

25. Community shocked by shootings (TN)

"Today, Cowley College cross-country runners Timothy Johnson and Ryan Stittiams are recent victims of a shooting that followed an early-morning altercation outside a club near Ponca City.
Early Sunday, Johnson, Stittiams and Cowley track team runner Stewart Hypolite were driving north toward Newkirk on highway 77 when someone began shooting at their 1995 Mustang.
All three were hit. Johnson, among the best high school cross-country runners in Memphis last year, was last reported in critical condition at Via Christi-St. Francis in Wichita, trying to survive a blast to the back of the head.
His best friend, Stittiams, was shot in the back and was stable at Via Christi in Ponca City as of yesterday. Hypolite was treated and released from the same hospital."

http://www.arkcity.net/stories/091504/com_0004.shtml