Father shoots self in leg in Downtown Disney parking lot

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Instead of having a mandatory safety permit, why not extend the "assault with a deadly weapon" statutes to those who shoot themselves if they are proven to be acting negligently, and/ or put others in danger, by not knowing or adhering to basic gun safety laws, like this idiot? I'm all for doing the same with cars, chainsaws, nailguns and anything else dangerous in the wrong hands you can think of.

That way, everyone gets the basic rights that come with being an American, but its taken away from people who can't handle the responsibility that those rights come with.

Thats the best middle ground I can come up with at 1am, I'm afraid!

I'm not quite sure this would work. That raises a whole bunch of other questions around freedom and rights. By enforcing the law in this way, wouldn't you be saying basically that people don't have the right to hurt themselves? You're just cashing in one right for another.

 

[CanadianGuy]

I'm not quite sure this would work. That raises a whole bunch of other questions around freedom and rights. By enforcing the law in this way, wouldn't you be saying basically that people don't have the right to hurt themselves? You're just cashing in one right for another.

If people had the right to hurt themselves.. why are such huge amounts of resources put forward to stop suicidals from succeeding?

I submit that the right to injure yourself is already severely limited and there are many things you can do that will result in injury to yourself and only yourself.. but are still quite illegal.

 

[Vijoge]

I would assume that he was clearing his weapon in an effort to get it put away safely before going in to the movie.

I know you said clearing and others read it as cleaning but I have a cleaning story. .
Many, many years ago my ex (who owned a small arsenal, but that's another story altogether. . ) was in the basement cleaning a handgun which, unfortunately and stupidly, he had neglected to unload. The firearm discharged, went through his boot and shoe and then through the basement floor.

I just happened to be upstairs talking on the phone and didn't hear any of the until he came upstairs and yelled that he needed to go to the hospital.

Well, I was kind of busy, but I took him anyway.

We arrived at the hospital and I went in to get a wheelchair, telling the guy at the door my DH (and I use the trem loosely) had been shot. All of a sudden everyone in the ER started running around yelling "GUNSHOT" and the next thing I knew I was in a room with a uniformed police officer demanding to know what had happened.

"Well," I said, "If I'd been trying to kill him I certainly wouldn't have shot him in the foot!"

 

[bradisgoofy]

Very interesting comments. As a retired Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) I would like to point out "boneheads" exist everywhere. We had a deputy put his duty weapon into his back pocket, with his finger in the trigger guard, and shoot himself in the butt. This was in the department parking lot and he was in uniform, just not his duty belt. Anyone can have a laps in judgement or attention, no one here is immune to that. May I remind you that bad guys don't care if it is Disney property or if it is a "Gun Free Zone" that's why they are bad. Also, I believe there have been recent incidents of people being robbed in the DTD area. I, for one, go nowhere without protection for myself and my loved ones. Well, not into the theme parks.

 

[dburg30]

This is a sad accident. They are called accidents for a reason. You dont plan on them. The problem is, we wont know the 'whole' story. It says he removed it from his waistband. That could be true, BUT a very common way to conceal carry a weapon, is in HOLSTER that attaches to the INSIDE of your pants / sweats / shorts / whatever. Now, again, I dont know HOW this person was carrying it but I do know that MOST people that have a conceal carry permit take that privledge very seriously. Now, just like autos, there are some people that shouldnt have a license. Was this person one of 'those' people? Or was this a well balanced dad, exercising his totally LEGAL privledge and just had a horrible thing happen. It just says 'semi auto'. Since we dont know what type it was, I dont know what kind of safety this had on it.

And as stated he was 'clearing' his weapon. I have a feeling either his hand slipped as he was trying to pull the slide back (the top of the gun) to eject the shell, and as it went forward his other hand hit the trigger, or trying to do it in the car, in a confined space he accidently pulled the trigger.

I'm glad he wasnt seriously hurt, but I think people would be VERY suprised the number of men AND women that carry a firearm with them. And I VERY much believe in the 'If you make owning a gun criminal, only criminals will own guns'. Remember, an uprising is basically what allowed the USA to become the USA, and why the 2nd amendment is there.

Yes, I do own guns, I am a member of the NRA, and I do enjoy my shooting sports. I really dont hunt, I just like shooting. I do not have a carry permit, as I dont see a need for it, but when i hear about car jackings, or muggings etc etc, I often consider it. I mean, why are people so against people being allowed to protect themselves in a way that actually means something?

/em gets off his soap box..

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

If people had the right to hurt themselves.. why are such huge amounts of resources put forward to stop suicidals from succeeding?

I submit that the right to injure yourself is already severely limited and there are many things you can do that will result in injury to yourself and only yourself.. but are still quite illegal.

I notice you're Canadian. Just like to point out that attempted suicide is not illegal in our country. I assume that you won't go to jail for it in the US too. I don't see how charging someone, like the PP suggested, who accidently shot themselves is right.

 

[dburg30]

Well, I look at CCW license holders as drivers license. If you wreck your car, and the police show up, you could easily be cited for failure to control. Well, if they are licensed gun carrier you could cite them for failure to control also

 

[fairestoneofall]

If he was a Disney employee, that does raise some interesting questions.

However, I know that some off-duty law enforcement officials do carry weapons. We had a SC SLED officer in our church and he always had his gun on his person in a shoulder holster. And really, nothing ever happened in church that required the use of his gun.

 

[bradisgoofy]

....And really, nothing ever happened in church that required the use of his gun.

Guessed you missed the Colorado story in December 2007? Read about it here.

 

[SnoopyDancer]

We had a deputy put his duty weapon into his back pocket, with his finger in the trigger guard, and shoot himself in the butt. This was in the department parking lot and he was in uniform, just not his duty belt.[/SIZE]

At least the deputy wasn't giving a gun safety lecture to children when he shot himself unlike a certain DEA agent. By the way, the agent sued DEA for releasing the video. http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/bizarre&id=4090491

For those who want to see the video, you can google it. After the agent shot himself, he has his "assistant" bring out a bigger gun (maybe an MP5?). As the assistant holds the big gun, people start shouting, telling her to put the gun down. It's funny, but it's not.