Saturday, January 28, 2023

Armed Road Rage Suspect Arrested At Drive-Thru

 A Houston, Texas man with a criminal history of road rage was arrested after allegedly waving a gun at another driver. The 32-year-old man was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. 

According to police, a man reported he was being tailgated by a driver who was waving a gun around. He watched as the man with the gun pulled into a McDonald's parking lot. Police arrested the man while he was waiting for his order in the drive-thru lane. They found a loaded handgun inside his car. 

The man had been arrested in 2018 for allegedly threatening someone with his car. 

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Man Unintentionally Shot and Killed by Dog

 A 30-year-old Wichita, Kansas man was on a hunting trip when a dog stepped on a rifle causing the gun to fire. The bullet hit the man in the back killing him instantly. 

According to police, the man was sitting in the passenger seat of a pickup truck. "The back seat contained hunting gear and a rifle. A canine belonging to the owner of the pickup stepped on the rifle causing the weapon to discharge. The fired round struck the passenger who died of his injuries on scene."

According to a coworker "he was a truly amazing man. He was kind, funny, smart, and very loving. Every time he walked through the door, he would make someone smile. Either from being a goofball or just his natural presence making everything better. It wasn't hard to love Joe because he always made you feel like you were one of a kind and never left a conversation without letting you know he loved you."

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with funeral costs. 

Guns are the only consumer product you can buy that are not regulated by consumer protection laws. There is no legal requirement that a rifle be safe from unintentional discharge when it is dropped, bumped, or stepped on by a dog. 


Monday, January 23, 2023

Mass Shooter in Monterey Park Used Military Style Pistol

Saturday night, a 72-year-old man opened fire at the Star Ballroom in Monterey Park, California, killing 10 people and injuring 10 more. An 11th victim died a day later in the hospital. People had gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The victims, five men and six women, were all over 50. 

According to news reports, the shooter was armed with a MAC-11 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a large capacity ammunition magazine. MAC stands for Military Armament Corporation. The gun is a machine pistol developed in the 1970s. It is capable of emptying an entire 30-round magazine in less than two seconds. The gun was designed for combat and is currently being used by the special operations and terrorism unit of the Brazilian Navy as well as Venezuela's largest National Police Agency. Police found at least 42 shell casings and an empty magazine at the scene. 

While the motive of the shooter has yet to be determined what is clear is that he intended to inflict maximum harm by using a military pistol with a large capacity magazine giving him the ability to fire many bullets in a short period of time.  Why is a gun with such deadly firepower readily available to the public? 

Friday, January 20, 2023

Bullets From Gun Range Keep Hitting Nearby Homes, Gun Range Owner Says Concerns 'No Big Deal'

 A gun range in Conroe, Texas is raising concerns for neighbors and customers alike. Bullets from the gun range have been hitting homes, cars, and garages in a subdivision that borders the range. One homeowner found a bullet in his backyard. Another discovered a bullet lodged in his car. A local news crew filmed bullet holes in a chimney, garage, window and wall of nearby homes. 

One neighbor said he knew he was moving next to a gun range but didn't expect stray bullets to be flying near his home. "We are concerned we can't be outside without being in danger, especially the frequency it has been happening."  

The gun range owner told the reporter that concerns were "not a big deal" and he was not looking to make any changes. When asked about an recent incident where a man was hit in the face by a cartridge ejected from the rifle he was shooting the owner said what happened was human error and it was "more funny than anything." The man had to be taken to the hospital for treatment. 

Recently two men took their sons skeet shooting at the range when they suddenly heard bullets flying towards them. "It was terrifying. I was scared to death for my son and his friend," one of the men said. The group hid behind a truck and called the owner of the range who didn't show any urgency. The shots continued for another 20 minutes. "They need to reassess their protocols and safety situations. If they can't do that, they do need to shut down." 

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Young Teen Unintentionally Shoots and Kills Boy. Will an Adult Be Held to Account?

 A 14-year-old Dallas, Texas girl has been charged with murder after unintentionally shooting and killing an 11-year-old boy. 

According to a police statement, the girl was arguing with another 14-year-old girl in the parking lot of her apartment complex. She "retrieved a handgun and shot in the direction of the female she was fighting. However, the shot struck a male juvenile bystander." The boy, De'Evan, died at the scene. 

Where did the 14-year-old get the handgun? Every gun in the hand of a child had to pass through the hands of an adult first.  Will the adult who enabled this girl be held accountable? News reports give no indication of where the gun came from, who owns it, or how the girl came to possess it. 

De'Evan's mother wants people to know that "he was a very talented young man, he had a great future ahead of him." She also wants people to "take this story and do something productive with it. Let my son not have died in vain and let this save somebody else's child."