Man fatally shoots wife while installing satellite TV system

[proud2BlibKansan]

The Associated Press
SEDALIA, Mo. | Officials are trying to determine whether to file charges against a man who fatally shot his wife while trying to install a satellite television system in their home.

Patsy D. Long, 34, of Deep Water, was pronounced dead early Saturday evening after being shot in the chest with a .22-caliber handgun. Her husband, Ronald Long, fired the shot from the inside of their home after several unsuccessful efforts to punch a hole through the exterior wall using other means.

The woman, who was outside the house, was hit by the second of two shots fired by Ronald Long, the Henry County Sheriff’s Department said.

Sheriff’s Department spokesman Maj. Robert Hills said a person involved in such a case normally would be charged with manslaughter, but that was up to the prosecutor.

“Once we complete a diagram of the incident, we will be submitting everything to the prosecuting attorney and let him decide if he wants to press criminal charges,” Hills said.

Henry County Coroner Scott Largent declined to release details about Patsy Long’s death until the Sheriff’s Department completes its investigation.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/545396.html

[YOY]

1. If he killed himself it would be a Darwin

He killed his wife...a really screwy manslaughter charge is all he gets. Hope no kids were involved.

[Zuiderelle]

2. I don't know how I feel about this. He's obviously a danger to society.

Bad enough that he killed his wife. What if there had been a child on their sidewalk who got killed? He should at the very least have any and all guns confiscated. What a stupid thing to do.

[sergeiAK]

56. No, he should be in jail

Negligent homicide/involuntary manslaughter at a minimum.

[dkofos]

3. Yes, people are this STUPID!!

[izquierdista]

10. Having been acquainted with Sedalia

I'm not surprised by the byline of the story.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. It's absolutely mind-blowing

[walldude]

4. Must have really wanted his Fox News.... n/t

[onehandle]

5. Yay guns! nt

[zanne]

6. Another genius utilizes his "self defense" weapon...

We're a country of morons.

[Buzz Clik]

7. A .22 is a perfect substitute for a drill.

"Knock on the wall honey so I know where the hole goes.... ok. Got it. Now, duck!"

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. Congratulations! The Dumbing Down Of Amerika-Mission Accomplished!

[tridim]

9. This reminds me of the Simpsons NRA episode.

This guy is just as stupid as Homer.

[Ordr]

14. "Marge, a gun is a tool...just like a hammer or a knife or...an alligator...they're all tools!"

[underpants]

59. HOMER! you have it set on 'whore'

Right! I'll just go get the cold cream gun

[Javaman]

65. Man, that joke never gets old. LOL nt

[CatWoman]

32. LOL

Yup :rofl:

[bullwinkle428]

42. I knew someone had to beat me to this reference!!

The other NRA members in Springfield got completely disgusted with Homer's total irresponsibility in handling his gun that they ended up kicking him out of the local chapter, for those unfamiliar with that episode.

[tridim]

45. And Moe demonstrates "responsibility" with his guns..

"And that's how, with a few minor adjustments, you can turn a regular gun into five guns."

He was allowed to stay. :)

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

43. Homer slowly walking through the house......

.....shooting out lights is the best Simpsons moment ever.

[Squatch]

11. It's not a weapon...it's a tool.

:shrug:

(gun owner, here)

[villager]

17. uh, no. It's a weapon.

n/t

[Squatch]

20. I see you weren't issued a sense of humor.

[villager]

55. It might be funny if your fellow gunners hadn't argued that same point -- in earnest!

Figuring out you were the one exception with a sense of humor was a challenge, I admit...

Do I owe you a beer now?

[Squatch]

69. Yes, you owe me a beer.

(Never ask a German that question) ;)

[villager]

73. Awright. But I'm a stout or porter kinda fella...

n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

44. In the case of Mr Long, so is the owner.

What a dumbass.

[selador]

13. he ignored

3 of the 4 rules of firearm safety

they aren't that HARD people.

but 3 of 4 is pretty good.

[mikeytherat]

15. Actually, I think he missed all four.

mikey_the_rat

[selador]

19. assuming

i am not assuming he violated the rule "all guns are always loaded"

he clearly assumed the gun was loaded IF he was firing it to blow a hole in the wall.

at least from what i read of the article. a little vague

[mikeytherat]

24. He might get a half-point for that.

But since he used a "knowingly loaded" weapon as a drill, he'd probably lose that half-point, just on principle (and style points).

mikey_the_rat

[selador]

25. im giving the benefit

of the doubt and grading on the moron curve

extra points for style.

[mikeytherat]

30. ZERO points for style - he used a gun to make bullet-sized hole.

Boring. And predictable. Now, had he used the loaded gun to turn the TV on or off, open a beer, get the frisbee off the roof, or remove the knot from his shoelace (while still wearing the shoe), well, I'd give out some style points for those.

mikey_the_rat

[selador]

35. yea.

i have heard of guys using guns to pry a sewer lid off (very inventive)

my favorite cop use of a gun is a cop who got lost in the woods so fired off a WARNING SHOT in the air.

he didn't last long.

[Chovexani]

60. Is "kill your wife" #4?

[truebrit71]

16. What an IDIOT!! Okay...how long before the gun-nuts come over here and start...

..defending this moran?

:eyes:

[Done]

21. You can laugh at this guy all you want,

but the question is, "did he get the tv going or not?"

[mikeytherat]

26. Probably why he fired the shot: Searching for satellite signal....

Searching for satellite signal....

Boot failure

**bang**

mikey_the_rat

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

27. Not nearly as long as it will take

extreeme anti 2nd people to start screaming this mental deficient is an average gun owner..


This is Darwin caliber action, and when someone does something this monumentally stupid its an indictment of them not the object utilized in their stupidity.

[selador]

40. people this dumb

...

to paraphrase jeff goldblum's character in jurassic park

"stupidity will find a way"

you can't fight it.

just keep yer distance

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

28. Ok, I'll wander in ...

"Know your target, and what's beyond your target"

I'd guess that bit slipped his mind.

But I have no idea what is the best outcome. Prison? He screwed up, big time, but would punishment help? Just incredibly stupid and sad. Agreed, he's a moran.

[dysfunctional press]

52. dumb like a fox...

he just saved himself from losing the house in the divorce.

[Snarkturian Clone]

18. Idiocracy NT

[wtmusic]

22. If she had been armed he wouldn't have been that stupid. nt

[Indenturedebtor]

29. Hahahahaha

Very nice :P

"If she had been armed he wouldn't have been that stupid. nt"
Posted by wtmusic

He probably thought he was really clever too. Jackass.

I wouldn't rule out intent here. For all we know he had tied her up outside and used this as a ploy to get a lesser charge.

[wtmusic]

31. Good point. nt

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

23. uggg...

Who is this guy homer simpson!!!

[1620rock]

34. Hmm, maybe not so dumb...what a clever way to arrange a murder.

[Bucky]

68. The first insurance company to qualify for a Darwin Award

Once they go broke, that is.

[seabeyond]

33. i am going ot have to be sure to share this story with hubby. being a fix-it man

and owning guns. dont want any oooopes here.

geez

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

41. Well be sure to get him a drill gauage for his bullets...

measure twice cut once..

[seabeyond]

46. lol lol. i am sayin.... n/t

[Ghost in the Machine]

36. What an incredibly stupid, ignorant person...

How do you counter this kind of stupidity? I'm really at a loss for words here...

My condolences to the wife's family & friends, and their kids(if they had any)...

[Selatius]

37. Drilling a hole through a wall using a gun...

And what if the bullet continued on into the neighborhood after it punched through? Oops?

[jdlh8894]

38. A .22?

Any cable or satellite installer knows you need at least a .38 to get the coax through the hole that's left! (unless the .22 were hollow point)

[seabeyond]

39. lol lol lol. i knew the joke seeing 22? and i dont even know much at all about guns

funny

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

47. I work like this a lot

drill a precision "starter" hole with a small bit, then follow that with the size I need. I'm sure the guy had a .308 as his next step.

This mess would be funny if it wasn't so tragic. Yikes.

[tridim]

48. Have you priced 12" long drill bits lately?

Last time I checked, professional dish installation is included in the price. Why was he doing it himself?

I'm an avid DIY'er and I wouldn't attempt that.

[flvegan]

49. Second shot? He missed his friggin HOUSE on the first try?

[LiberalEsto]

50. He shoulda stuck with Comcast

:sarcasm:

[dysfunctional press]

51. honey- could you watch to see if this goes all the way through the wall please?

this guy is a frikkin' GENIUS! (and NO, i didn't forget the sarcasm smilie)
divorces can get very messy and nasty.
i'm in awe.

[notadmblnd]

53. What? They don' have power tools in MO?

or are the houses built there made from some sort of impenetrable material? The guy is beyond stupid. For that reason alone he deserves jail.

[proud2BlibKansan]

63. It happened in Deepwater

It's pretty strange down there.

[aikoaiko]

54. Geez, there are only major 4 rules one needs to know to prevent so called accidents like this

Apparently, this bozo didn't get to rule #4.

1. Keep The Gun Pointed in a Safe Direction

* Look around and see who or what might be in the line of fire
* Always carry your gun pointed in a safe direction
* Unload and secure your gun when crossing an obstacle or difficult terrain


2. Every Gun is Loaded until you check it out yourself!

* Open the action when you pick up a gun
* Open the action before passing the gun to another hunter


3. Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger until you're ready to shoot!

* Keep all of your fingers behind the trigger guard
* Get into position and ready before you put yourfinger on the trigger


4. Be Sure of Your Target and what lies beyond it!

* Avoid hill top shots, or shots with an obscure background.
* Best backgrounds are hillsides or dirt banks free of big rocks.
* Identify your animal from tip (nose) to tail before you shoot. Never shoot at a sound or movement.

Other Important Safety Tips:

* Never shoot at a hard flat surface or water
* Never drink or take drugs before, or while shooting
* Always be sure your action and barrel are clear of obstructions
* Store hunting arms under lock and in a separate location from the ammunition
* Always unload before crossing a ditch, climbing a fence, entering a stand, or encountering an obstacle


http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/hunter_education/homestudy/safety_first/4rules.phtml

[Blue_Tires]

57. wow....she married a winner

tragic....

[slackmaster]

58. IMO the story does not pass the smell test

It's way too convenient that the woman happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I also have a hard time believing that anyone is dumb enough to misuse a firearm in that manner.

[momster]

61. When all you have is a hammer

every problem looks like a nail. When you have a gun....nope, I've got nothing.

Next on Fox...Home Improvement Morons

[lame54]

62. When is this going to become a Law & Order episode?

[Lex Talionis]

64. Burn him. The world has enough stupid people as it is. n/t

[chromotone]

66. Maybe he confused his Black & Decker with his Smith & Wesson

The ampersands will get them every time.

But seriously, I agree with the above poster(s): this doesn't pass the "smell test."

I can't believe anybody would be this stupid!

[Crabby Appleton]

67. Remington does make a .22 & .27 calibre power driver

used to drive fasteners into concrete; similar principle.

http://www.masterdist.net/rempat/

http://www.masterdist.net/rempat/496.html

[Xithras]

71. I was going to post that.

I picked one up at Lowe's for about $25 a few months ago (had to attach a fence to a concrete slab). I think you can pick them up at Harbor Freight for even less.

It's basically a .22 caliber nailgun. There isn't even a waiting period! Of course, the "hammer" required to fire it is literally a HAMMER. You've gotta thwack the thing pretty solidly to get the shell to fire. I doubt we'll ever see one used in a drive by :)

[onethatcares]

70. what other means did he try first?

while attempting the "punching" of a hole"through the exterior wall of his house. and why did he fire two shots?

[Xithras]

72. A .22 is a low power shell. If it would punch a hole in the wall, a screwdriver would have too.

A .22 isn't going to punch through brick, or a solid wood beam, or any other solid structural element. The fact that he made it through with two shots tells me that he was probably punching through stucco or some other kind of cheap siding. I've burrowed through stucco with a SCREWDRIVER, so there's no excuse for this guy shooting his house. Hopefully he'll be facing a manslaughter or negligent homicide charge.