GUNS IN THE NEWS - December 6 - 8, 2003

[CO Liberal]

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. 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.

4 - 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.

5 - If it's not clear from the title where the story occurred, add the city, state, or country in parentheses after the title.

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8 - If you object to these guidelines, do everyone else a favor and go to another thread.

[MrBenchley]

1. Men Seen Shooting At Power Pole Before Fire (FL)

More responsible, conservation minded sportsmen....NOT!

"A group of men reportedly shooting at a power pole in Brevard County, Fla., may be to blame for a brush fire that knocked out electricity to about 2,500 homes Sunday, according to Local 6 News.
Officials said a fire near Scottsmor was sparked when a live wire snapped off a power pole and ignited dry brush.
Local 6 News reported that before the fire, a group of teens said they noticed several men in the woods shooting at targets using what appeared to be automatic weapons.
Investigators believe an insulator from the power pole may have been damaged by gunfire. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031208/lo_wkmg/1909832

[demsrule4life]

2. More responsible, conservation minded sportsmen....NOT!

and you know this how?

[MrBenchley]

3. Gee, dems....

How DO I know these weren't responsible, conservation minded sportsmen....I guess that will be the mystery of the day...How DID I figure that one out?

[CO Liberal]

7. If They Were Responsible, Conservation-Minded Gun Owners....

...they wouldn't be shooting at power poles now, would they???

[MrBenchley]

8. B-b-b-b-but

can you PROVE that they weren't? (snicker)

[MrBenchley]

4. Ohio Freeway Shooting Cases Rise to 14

"COLUMBUS, Ohio - Two shootings earlier this week were the latest in a series that occurred along Interstate 270, bringing the number of cases under investigation to 14, authorities say.
More significantly, police said Friday they believe the shootings were the first since Gail Knisley, 62, was killed Nov. 25 as she was being driven to a doctor's appointment. She was the only person hit in the shootings.
Emma Fader found a bullet hole in her house on Monday following a weekend away, she said. The bullet splintered solid oak paneling about a foot above a birdcage and about four feet from the couch where her son Donald Fitch sleeps.
A day earlier, a woman driving along the interstate heard a thud and noticed a bullet hole in her car when she got home. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031206/ap_on_re_us/highway_shootings_93

[MrBenchley]

5. One Dead In Spartanburg County Shooting (SC)

"Deputies said they were called to 211 Cemetery Cir. in the Moore community around 4 a.m. on a report of a suicide.
When they arrived, they found Sean Michael Jewell, 21, dead from a gunshot wound to the chest. The Spartanburg County Coroner's office ruled that the death was a homicide, not a suicide. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031208/lo_wyff/1909782

[MrBenchley]

6. Teenager Allegedly Shot By Family Member (NM)

"Tony Gonzales says he sent his 14-year-old niece to get ready for a Christmas party, not knowing that a short while later, her second cousin would tell him he just shot her.
"Then, before they put him in a police car, he told me they were in love," Gonzales said. "And that was it."
Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren P. White says it was a chaotic scene when deputies arrived, with numerous family members filling the streets searching for answers.
Gonzalez says the family had warned his niece to stay away from her cousin. Now, she's in stable condition at University Hospital."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031207/lo_koat/1909388

Another family made safer by guns...

[CO Liberal]

9. School boosts security after gun incident (MD)

Sounds like someone wasn't properly storing his or her weapons. - Wayne

* * * * * * * * * *

School boosts security after gun incident

By Jay Diem

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EASTVILLE -- Northampton High School administrators are tightening school defenses to prevent a repeat of an incident last month in which two students brought a pistol to school.

In the weeks since the Nov. 12 incident, Superintendent Mary K. English and others have discussed the issue with community leaders and taken steps to increase the security of the school.

In two recent screenings, about 80 percent of the student body was checked for contraband. In addition, the school has received an additional metal detector and increased the use of them.

Two juveniles were charged last month with bringing the semi-automatic 9 mm pistol to school and are awaiting trial. They were arrested immediately after it was discovered. The juveniles possessed ammunition for the weapon, but the gun wasn't loaded, said Northampton Sheriff Jack Robbins. The two students were expelled from school and another student has been suspended for one academic year in connection with the incident.

<more>

http://www.dailytimesonline.com/news/stories/20031208/localnews/334.html

[MrBenchley]

10. Student shot on Barber-Scotia campus (NC)

"A student at Barber-Scotia College in Concord was shot on campus Sunday, leading to an arrest and increased patrols, police said.
About 5 p.m., a 21-year-old student was walking near the student center when a man, armed with a .357 magnum handgun, fired a shot, striking him in the shoulder, police said. The wounded man was treated at NorthEast Medical Center and released, police said."

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/7440140.htm

[CO Liberal]

11. Denton councilman arrested on gun charge (TX)

Yet another responsible gun owner - NOT!!!! - Wayne

* * * * * * * * * *

Denton councilman arrested on gun charge

Associated Press

DENTON -- City Councilman Raymond Redmon was released on bail Sunday after being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon involving a confrontation with a woman near a city park.

Officer Jim Bryan said police are investigating allegations that Redmon was involved in a disturbance where shots were fired. No one was injured.

Denton police officers heard gunshots when they answered Redmon's call to come to Fred Moore Park Saturday night, Bryan said. Redmon, 34, was arrested at the scene.

In addition to the aggravated assault charge, a second-degree felony, Redmon was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon, a misdemeanor.

<more>

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2279206

[CO Liberal]

12. Federal gun-law cases set record in Colorado

Pro-gunners keep saying that existing gun laws should be enforced before new ones are enacted. Looks that's what there doing here in Colorado. - Wayne

* * * * *

Federal gun-law cases set record in Colorado

By David Olinger
Denver Post Staff Writer

Record numbers of Colorado residents are getting hauled into federal court for violating gun laws.

In fiscal 2003, 172 Colorado defendants were charged with federal firearms violations - a 46 percent increase from the previous year, and three times the number charged before Colorado Project Exile was launched in 1999. That program, advertised on billboards and bus benches, promises hard time for violating gun laws.

Though the program was begun by Tom Strickland, a Democrat serving as U.S. attorney in Colorado, prosecutions have peaked under John Suthers, his Republican successor.

"It is a record number, and we're proud of that," Suthers said.

<more>

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~1816275,00.html

[CO Liberal]

13. 5 Killed in Apparent Murder-Suicide (CA)

Yet another family made safer by a gun - NOT!!!! - Wayne

* * * * * * * * * *

5 Killed in Apparent Murder-Suicide

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Police in this Silicon Valley suburb spent Sunday continuing to investigate an apparent murder-suicide involving three children, their father and his second wife.

Meanwhile, neighbors wondered how five members of a family they described as sweet and content could now be dead.

If police confirm their murder-suicide theory, the deaths would be the third family slayings in Santa Clara in less than two years. In May, a father killed his son and stepdaughter, then committed suicide several days later. In 2002, a mother killed her husband and two children.

On Saturday afternoon, officers found the bodies of a 12-year-old girl and 10-year-old twin boys, along with their 37-year-old father and their stepmother in a rented, one-story bungalow home, said Sgt. Kurt Clarke.

<snip>

Police have not announced a cause of death. Neighbor James LeDeau said officers asked him whether the man was a hunter, implying that a gun had been used. On Sunday morning, the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office referred questions to police.

<more>

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-family8dec08,1,481748.story?coll=la-headlines-california

[CO Liberal]

14. Man Shot, Killed In Corner Store (NY)

Man Shot, Killed In Corner Store

POSTED: 8:44 a.m. EST December 8, 2003

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- A convenience store clerk died after being shot in the head Sunday night, police said.

"A customer came into the store and found the victim behind the counter and walked home to call police," Detective Lt. William Siegrist said.

The victim, a 21-year-old man whose name hasn't been released, was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, where he died a short time later.

Police believe the victim was shot once, Lt. Edward Freer said.

<more>

http://www.wnbc.com/news/2689538/detail.html

[CO Liberal]

15. Freeport man killed in hunting accident (PA)

Two girls don't have a father today because he chose to ignore the safety rules - Wayne

* * * * *

Freeport man killed in hunting accident

Monday, December 8, 2003

NORTH BUFFALO -- The gun shot death of a deer hunter, Thomas Morris Van Dyke, 40, of 101 Hill Road, Freeport, has been ruled accidental by Armstrong County Coroner Robert T. Bower.
Bower said Van Dyke, who was last seen entering the woods at 7:30 a.m., was reported missing by his family at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Within an hour, a search by South Buffalo Township police and fire departments found Van Dyke with a single gunshot wound to the neck sitting in a tree stand off McVille Road. Bower said a combination of snow accumulation and rough terrain made the recovery effort difficult.

<snip>

Van Dyke is survived by two daughters, ages 8 and 18.

Bower said Van Dyke allegedly had a history of carrying a loaded firearm with the safety off while hiking through the woods and climbing tree stands, according to family members. Bower added that Van Dyke's tree stand was poorly constructed and access to the stand was hampered by a lack of climbing rungs.

Bower said disregard for hunter safety may have been a contributing factor to the accident.

<more>

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/leadertimes/s_168933.html

[MrBenchley]

16. Unusual scene led to discovery of four N.C. bodies (NC)

"AVENTON, N.C. - Something that didn't look right - the body of a 10-year-old boy lying in a yard after a freezing night - led to the grisly discovery of three more bodies inside a North Carolina country bungalow.
The four, including the boy's mother and two men, were found dead Sunday morning after a passer-by called 911, said Nash County Sheriff Jimmy Grimes.
Investigators identified the victims as Durwood Lynch, 10; his mother, Charlene Lynch, 40; Larry Lynch, 41; Curley Lynch, 58. Friends of Charlene Lynch's family said she and her husband were separated and authorities said the husband wasn't one of the victims.
But Michelle Rosser, Larry Lynch's sister, said all four had been shot, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Monday"

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/breaking_news/7439396.htm

[MrBenchley]

17. 2 Men Shot In Park As Children Look On (MO)

"Police are investigating a deadly shooting at a park Sunday that happened in front of children.
Officers were called to Ashland Park around noon. Witnesses told investigators that two men opened fire on two other men. Police said that Lonzo Johnson, 24, died. The second man was rushed to a hospital. His condition is not known.
Investigators told KMBC that the bullets came close to the children playing in the park. Neighbors said that they are thankful a stray bullet didn't hurt any of the youngsters."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031208/lo_kmbc/1910080

[MrBenchley]

18. Man dies after police standoff (IN)

"A Far-Eastside man died of a gunshot wound Saturday night after a standoff with police, authorities said.
Marion County Sheriff's Department spokesman Lt. Phil Burton said deputies were dispatched at 7:15 p.m. to the 200 block of South Gibson Street on a report of a suicidal person.
The man's wife had a court order barring him from the house, Burton said.
Upon arrival, deputies encountered Larry J. Walden, 54, armed with a gun, Burton said."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/2/099915-6352-009.html

[MrBenchley]

19. Boyfriend In Custody For Fatal Teen Shooting (MI)

"A 16-year-old Hazel Park High School student was killed over the weekend and her 17-year-old boyfriend is in custody.
Ashleigh Moomaw of Warren, Mich., was shot in the head at her boyfriend's Hazel Park home early Sunday morning, Local 4 reported. Police said the boyfriend pulled the trigger, according to the station's reports.
Friends of the victim said she was an outgoing, fun-loving and hard-working girl. She would have turned 17 Thursday, Local 4 reported."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031208/lo_wdiv/1910054

[MrBenchley]

20. Drive-By Shooting Leaves One Person Dead (MI)

"Police are searching for a man who reportedly killed one person and injured three others in a drive-by shooting Sunday in Detroit.
The man fired shots from an AK-47 at a car on McNichols and Ardmore streets, Local 4 reported. The four victims were reportedly inside the car when it was hit by bullets.
Witnesses said the shooting sounded like a war zone. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031208/lo_wdiv/1910395

[MrBenchley]

21. Standoff Continues In Abbeville County Shooting (NC)

"Officials say at least one Abbeville County sheriff's deputy has been shot in a standoff off Highway 72.
The standoff began around 9 a.m. at a home at the corner of Highway 72 and Union Church Road, just outside the Abbeville city limits.
Officers from Abbeville, Abbeville County, Greenwood County and the State Law Enforcement Division are at the scene, and negotiators are talking with the gunman, who is inside the home. Sources tell WYFF News 4 that a second deputy may be in the home with the gunman.
eighbors said the man who owned the home has been angry at officials over a Highway 72 widening project that would pass his home. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031208/lo_wyff/1910471

[MrBenchley]

22. Another gun collection set for Saturday at 5 sites (PA)

"For the first time in the 10 years since it started, the candlelight vigil that marks the start of the annual Goods for Guns buyback program had to be canceled Friday night because of the snowstorm.
But that doesn't mean people didn't bring in their guns on Saturday.
These are the kinds of guns Dacey's group is trying to gather, and organizers are hoping the wintry weather doesn't dampen this Saturday's collection at locations in Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg, Homestead, Monroeville and Braddock.
The gun program, started by pediatric surgeons dismayed at having to treat young gunshot victims, offers $50 gift certificates for handguns and $25 certificates for rifles or shotguns. Certificates are redeemable from local merchants."
All guns turned in are rendered inoperable through welding and cutting. In the past, guns have been melted down or turned into sculptures, including one large piece called "Gun Totem" for which the artist created a 12-foot cylindrical concrete totem pole with the guns embedded in it."

http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20031208guns1208p3.asp

[MrBenchley]

23. Two People Shot Outside Carlsbad Taco Shop (CA)

"The shooting occurred in the parking lot of Cessy's Taco Shop in the 3000 block of Carlsbad Boulevard at about 8 p.m. Sunday.
"Officers responded and found two people, a male and a female, on the ground suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The female was transported to Scripps La Jolla where she died. The male was transported to Palomar Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds," Carlsbad Police Lt. William Rowland said.
The attack may have been the result of a domestic dispute, police added."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031208/lo_kgtv/1910410

[MrBenchley]

24. 13-year-old killed in weekend shooting in Lafayette County (MS)

"OXFORD, Miss. - The Lafayette County Sheriff's Department was investigating the weekend shooting death of a 13-year-old Abbeville boy.
De'Andrea Austin was pronounced dead by Lafayette County Coroner Lonnie Weaver at 7:35 p.m. Saturday of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Austin was a student at Lafayette Middle School."

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/7443891.htm

[MrBenchley]

25. Woman Faces Charges In Accidental Shooting Of Niece (PA)

"CBS 3’s Rebecca Messa reports 11-year-old Alia Williams was at her aunt’s home on the 5300 block of Gillespie Street Sunday when she and her 10-year-old cousin found a .40 caliber Glock under a mattress.
Police say when the boy went to put it back, the gun went off striking Williams in the shoulder bruising her lung and chipping her spine.
She is currently listed in stable condition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia."

http://kyw.com/Local%20News/local_story_341233508.html