ND: Airman killed by unloaded gun

[seamusTX]

In Bismark, North Dakota (frozen wasteland), a 19-year-old off-duty airman at Minot AFB was killed by a shot from an unloaded gun that another young airman was using for a safety demonstration.

R.I.P.

The alleged shooter is charged with negligent homicide.

http://www.valleynewslive.com/Global/st ... S=13976181" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[C-dub]

[sugar land dave]

In Bismark, North Dakota (frozen wasteland), a 19-year-old off-duty airman at Minot AFB was killed by a shot from an unloaded gun that another young airman was using for a safety demonstration.

Always consider a gun to be loaded; don't assume it to be unloaded. When will guys learn?

[philip964]

I've always assumed that this was just a murder and the guy came up with a story of "it just went off"or "it was unloaded" to cover the murder.

If your a gambling man, what are the odds that when a gun "just randomly goes off by it self"or the first time you decide to "pull the trigger of an unloaded gun" it is pointed at a vital organ of the only other witness in the room.

[Excaliber]

I've always assumed that this was just a murder and the guy came up with a story of "it just went off"or "it was unloaded" to cover the murder.

If your a gambling man, what are the odds that when a gun "just randomly goes off by it self"or the first time you decide to "pull the trigger of an unloaded gun" it is pointed at a vital organ of the only other witness in the room.

While it could be an unintended discharge due to gross negligence, I look at these as intentional until an investigation proves otherwise.

Guns don't go off randomly, and responsible people don't point them randomly.

This guy's story is even more squirrelly than the usual "it went off when I was cleaning it" line.

[WildBill]

Crawford had been married less than a week before the shooting, which authorities say appeared to be accidental.

An accidental marriage?

[C-dub]

I've always assumed that this was just a murder and the guy came up with a story of "it just went off"or "it was unloaded" to cover the murder.

If your a gambling man, what are the odds that when a gun "just randomly goes off by it self"or the first time you decide to "pull the trigger of an unloaded gun" it is pointed at a vital organ of the only other witness in the room.

That's really the part that bothers me. Even after checking a gun several times to ensure that it is unloaded, I still can't bring myself to point at someone. I don't even look down the barrel until it is disassembled.

[WildBill]

I've always assumed that this was just a murder and the guy came up with a story of "it just went off"or "it was unloaded" to cover the murder.

If your a gambling man, what are the odds that when a gun "just randomly goes off by it self"or the first time you decide to "pull the trigger of an unloaded gun" it is pointed at a vital organ of the only other witness in the room.

That's really the part that bothers me. Even after checking a gun several times to ensure that it is unloaded, I still can't bring myself to point at someone. I don't even look down the barrel until it is disassembled.

I have the same "phobia". Some people just don't get it.

[seamusTX]

I've always assumed that this was just a murder and the guy came up with a story of "it just went off"or "it was unloaded" to cover the murder.

Murder needs to be intentional. Unless they can find a motive, it probably was negligent homicide or manslaughter.

... what are the odds that when a gun "just randomly goes off by it self"or the first time you decide to "pull the trigger of an unloaded gun" it is pointed at a vital organ of the only other witness in the room.

A shot fired at random has a low probability of hitting another person, simply by virtue of the small angle of arc occupied by a head or torso. People who intend to shoot another person have a hard enough time doing it.

For that reason, I think most of these incidents are the result of horseplay or gross negligence.

Also, when there are witnesses to a shooting of this type, they often confirm that it was one of the above.

- Jim

[ZeeMan]

my son is almost six, one night he got curious about my rifles. The first thing I did was remove ALL ammunition form the cases the rifles are stored in, relocked them, walked to the other end of the house before allowing him to even touch them, all this being said to say "HOW in the sam-hill do you just point an "unloaded" gun at someone and pull the trigger?!?!?!?!!?" Unless you intend on killing them anyway.......

[zero4o3]

I've always assumed that this was just a murder and the guy came up with a story of "it just went off"or "it was unloaded" to cover the murder.

If your a gambling man, what are the odds that when a gun "just randomly goes off by it self"or the first time you decide to "pull the trigger of an unloaded gun" it is pointed at a vital organ of the only other witness in the room.

That's really the part that bothers me. Even after checking a gun several times to ensure that it is unloaded, I still can't bring myself to point at someone. I don't even look down the barrel until it is disassembled.

I'm right there with you,

[Scott in Houston]

I've always assumed that this was just a murder and the guy came up with a story of "it just went off"or "it was unloaded" to cover the murder.

If your a gambling man, what are the odds that when a gun "just randomly goes off by it self"or the first time you decide to "pull the trigger of an unloaded gun" it is pointed at a vital organ of the only other witness in the room.

That's really the part that bothers me. Even after checking a gun several times to ensure that it is unloaded, I still can't bring myself to point at someone. I don't even look down the barrel until it is disassembled.

I'm right there... One further... when dry firing in my office, I can't even point it at a picture on the wall of anyone I know. I end up choosing inanimate objects.

[KaiserB]

In Bismark, North Dakota (frozen wasteland), a 19-year-old off-duty airman at Minot AFB was killed by a shot from an unloaded gun that another young airman was using for a safety demonstration.

Always consider a gun to be loaded; don't assume it to be unloaded. When will guys learn?

[During] a safety demonstration [presented by] another young airman.

[Excaliber]

Here's a point of language, but I think an important one:

The victim was killed with the gun, not by the gun.

It's the point the antis refuse to acknowledge, but I think we should be careful to articulate it properly.