Rohnert Park police find assault rifle, grenade launcher in home after accidental shooting

[onehandle]

A 36-year-old Rohnert Park man was arrested Friday night after he allegedly fired a .50-caliber black-powder rifle inside his house. Officers arrived at the suspect's home on Bridgit Drive around 11 p.m. Friday following a report of gunfire.

A woman walked out with a rifle and a pellet gun and told officers her boyfriend, Shawn Robert Kaffun, was inside with their 9-year-old son and had accidentally fired the rifle into the floor while showing it to a friend.

After 15 minutes, officers coaxed Kaffun to come out with his son, police said. He reportedly appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. During a sweep of the house, officers noted ammunition for other weapons as well as an apparent bullet hole in the kitchen floor.

Kaffun, who has a felony conviction for shooting a firearm into an inhabited dwelling or vehicle from 1998, is prohibited from possessing guns or ammunition, according to officials.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120107/articles/120109636&tc=yahoo

[Ecumenist]

1. What the hell??!! ROHNERT PARK? That's a nice area and relatively blue

Wow, a 50 caliber? Let me guess...METH..

[Hoyt]

2. Unfortunately, more and more people are arming up nowadays -- even Democrats.

The number of guns -- and attitude toward them -- are a national problem waiting to happen.

[Remmah2]

18. Not just firearms.

It's the national attitude that's gone down the crapper.

[Atypical Liberal]

3. Uh, more like this...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawken_rifle

The article says it was a black powder rifle. This is a muzzle-loader. It's not even considered a firearm under the GCA of 1968.

[Lasher]

4. .50 caliber is very common for a black powder rifle.

The projectile has a low velocity compared to modern bullets, and therefore requires higher mass to be effective.

[Mopar151]

6. Black powder .50 = muzzle loader

Too slow to load for tweakers.......

[Ecumenist]

8. LOL!! I'm telling you Mopar,

There's something else involved in this situation, trust me. It'll come out soon, I just know it.

[Mopar151]

14. Ol' Charley Weaver said it best!

(On the old Hollywood Squares)

How high do you have to be to skydive, Charly?

"Three days a' steady drinkin' oughta do it!"

[Ecumenist]

16. The Hair of the dog is definitely playing a big part-

but there's something else there... I may be wrong but I feel it in my gut.

[oneshooter]

9. The rifle was a muzzle loader, not a BMG round.

[DWilliamsamh]

15. It was a black powder muzzle loader. It isn't even really a rifle.

The guy is a world class idiot for handling any loaded weapon while loaded. And yeah he was a convicted idiot and should go to jail for breaking his parole.

[Jack Rabbit]

20. That distinction can only be made by an act of a legislative body

It fires bullets and goes bang bang. But it isn't what it appears to be.

[DWilliamsamh]

26. There IS an important distiction -

a rifle has rifling that makes it much more accurate. Muzzle loader by nature doesn't, and also doesn't have as tight a tolerance beteen the bore and projectile, and because of this has a much lower muzzle velocity - hence a .50cal projectile to compensate, that is much less accurate.

The reason the distinction is important - is because like most people when you hear .50 cal you think Stallone and fully automatic weapons that fire hundreds of rounds per minute. This is a very different weapon.

I only make a distinction because A: a reporter shouldn't call something a rifle that by definition isn't a rifle. Sloppiness begets sloppiness. B: the picture in the head (and the effectiveness in reality) is MUCH different between the muzzle loader and a .50 Cal machine gun. They can both kill but they are different.

My comment about this guy needing to be in jail stands - no one, much less a convict on parole for a weapons charge should be hadling ANY loaded weapon drunk.

[slackmaster]

27. There are muzzle-loading pistols and rifles that have rifled barrels.

...and also doesn't have as tight a tolerance beteen the bore and projectile, and because of this has a much lower muzzle velocity - hence a .50cal projectile to compensate, that is much less accurate....

Rifle muskets were used with devastating effect during the American Civil War. They're reasonably accurate out to 100 yards or more.

My comment about this guy needing to be in jail stands - no one, much less a convict on parole for a weapons charge should be hadling ANY loaded weapon drunk.

He should never have been let out of jail in the first place.

[DWilliamsamh]

28. I largely agree....

Of course muzzle loaders can be deadly. They are fire arms after all...my point was simply there is a difference between what most people think of when someone says .50 Cal and the weapon in this case.

On your second point: Agreed. This dude should have served his whole sentence. He was probably let out because his bunk was needed for a teenager caught with four doobies.

[PavePusher]

29. What does any of that have to do with political affiliation or drugs? n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. It's as normal as having a Keurig in the kitchen

Doesn't everyone have this shit lying around?

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. Sounds like the mother did the smart thing to come out and

caution that her son was still inside. Lucky for her (she had a rifle) police waited to react.

The article goes on to mention an AR-15 assault rifle -- with attached grenade launcher - was also found...and found to have been stolen.

[Jean V. Dubois]

10. The so-called "assault rifle" was an AR-15, which (being semiautomatic) isn't an assault rifle.

Oh, well. The last thing I expect from the press is accuracy regarding firearms.

[slackmaster]

12. Yes, but as a convicted felon there is no way he can have it legally

I'm going to take a wild guess that the "attached grenade launcher" is a perfectly legal 37 mm flare launcher.

http://37mm.com/

[Jean V. Dubois]

13. Quite true. As for the "grenade launcher", your wild guess is almost certainly true.

How many black market M203s are there out there, and what's the chance this particular loser would somehow get possession of one?

"Attached flare launcher" doesn't sound nearly scary enough, though.

[slackmaster]

11. Basic gun safety should be taught in public schools

But even that can't fix stupid.

[Remmah2]

17. He must have had a military career.

Major Idiot.

[vminfla]

19. Are you inferring career military personnel are idiots? n/t

[tkmorris]

21. I think he/she was just going for the "Major Idiot" pun

I am ex-military. I am no idiot, and am also not offended.

[Remmah2]

22. Only officers.

nt

[vminfla]

23. Makes sense, college education is not what it once was

nt

[Remmah2]

25. The only officers worth a hoot are the mustangs.

Or other officers who've worked their way up the ranks. Experience.

[rivercat]

24. this was literally next door to me.

I don't know him though.

[Ecumenist]

30. Did you hear anything?

Bless your heart....I hope things get better.