Anger, Stupidity, Insanity and Something to Consider

January, 2010 - Crime: Posession of a firearm while intoxicated and reckless use of a firearm
Novi, Michigan - At 4:45 PM a CCW permit holder whose name was withheld reportedly had been having a few with some friends when he decided to show his gun to his drinking buddy. No surprise that the gun was unintentionally discharged. The bullet travelled through the siding of the man's home to another nearby street, crashed through a family's sliding glass window and lodged in the wall near where the unsuspecting family had just sitting down for dinner. Luckily, no one was injured.

January, 2010 - Crime: Brandishing
Chico, California - Firefighter and CCW permit holder, Zachery Plottel, argued with a couple who were sitting in a car, apparently over the use of a laser pointer. The argument escalated to the point that Plottel took out his firearm and pointed it at the couple. The incident caused three nearby schools to go into lockdown. When apprehended Plottel pled the Fifth as to where he had place the firearm.

Plottel has been placed on administrative leave and if it's determined that the incident occurred within 1,000 feet of the nearest school, Neal Dow Elementary School, he may face additional charges which could negatively effect his 10 year career with the fire department.

January, 2010 - Crime: As yet unfiled
McDermitt, Ohio - A once again, unnamed CCW permit holder apparently needed to pay more attention when he was in school as he failed to read the large sign on his grandson's school which read 'No Concealed Guns on School Premises'. He went in with the gun unsecured in his pocket and decided to play basketball with his grandson in the school gym. The gun fell out of his pocket, discharged and shot him in the leg. Luckily the grandson was the only child in the gym at the time and he was uninjured.

Police are still determining appropriate charges.

January, 2010 - Crime: Murder
South Salt Lake City, Utah - Mary Nance Hanson, a CCW permit holder, went to the Salt Lake Community Action Program Head Start and firing at least five shots, killed Tetyana Nikitina, a head start teacher and mother of two as she left school for the day. Police stated that they had found evidence that Hanson had reloaded the firearm after firing several times.

When asked why she had killed the woman she stated that she didn't know and that that was all she was going to say.

Nikitina's two children, age 7 and 9 are in the custody of their father.



And a little bonus for you - for those who think that owning weapons are the be all and end all of security, I present you with this story:

January, 2010 - Crime: Theft, Complicity to Kidnapping, Complicity to Aggrevated Robbery
Fairfield Township, Ohio - Troy Purdin and his wife, both CCW permit owners, had a collection of firearms which they kept in a gun safe. They also had a cousin who had recently come into town named Timothy "TJ" Stone. They had not spent time with TJ since he was 10, but apparently one visit was enough to let TJ know that his relatives were gun owners.

The next time that TJ came over, he brought friends. Friends with their own firearms. TJ and his accomplises held a gun to Purdin's head and held him and his three year old son hostage while they stole the gun safe and 16 firearms.

Editorial comment - Texas Shell Game

January, 2010 - Crime: Felony Deadly Conduct

Austin, Texas - Texas has a bit of a problem. (OK, depending on your outlook, they may have several problems.) They have a law set up that makes it illegal to disclose the names of individuals who have CCW permits, so what do they when there's a shooting by someone carrying a concealed weapon with a permit?

Well, yesterday, a young man named Fausto Cardenas decided that the best way to impress a girl and convince her to go out with him was to discharge a gun on the Texas State Capital steps. After a young woman refused to speak with him privately, Fausto went out and started shooting. He was taken down immediately by police. Luckily, the five shots he was able to take did not wound anyone visiting or working at the Capital.

Now journalists wishing to report on the incident aren't allowed to ascertain whether this individual was carrying this firearm legally or illegally because the gun lobby got the hush law passed.

But here's the loophole - if the individual isn't charged with carrying a concealed firearm illegally, doesn't that suggest that the individual did have a CCW permit? And if you can figure out who has and who hasn't got one by what they are charged with, isn't the law just attempting to keep the fact that these people had been given permits out of the media, which could make one question how this law effects freedom of the press? Isn't it one thing to protect law abiding citizens who don't want the criminal element, i.e., everyone else, to know they have a firearm and another to document that a law put in place by the gun lobby was being misused by the criminal element? Shouldn't those who abuse the privilege be pointed out so that legislators can determine if laws need to be refined?

Texas state legislators after the shooting said that they need to beef up security. Might I suggest that they take a real good look at their gun laws and hush laws and determine who those laws are really protecting.

Once again, the mass murderer had a CCW

January, 2010 - Crime: Murder

Appamattox, Virginia - Christopher Bryan Speight turned himself in to police after eight people were murdered and a police helicopter was shot down by gunfire. Shot were Speight's sister, brother-in-law, Speight's 15 year old nephew, 4 year old niece and four family friends, including a 16 year old boy.

When he turned himself in, Mr. Speight was wearing camouflage pants and a bulletproof vest.

Christopher Speight was a CCW permit holder.

January, 2010 - Crime: Third-degree murder

Erie, Pennsylvania - All Jayson Sack did, according to witnesses, was yell to a driver to slow down in a picnic area. That was all it took for Joel Atkin to get out of his car, take out his .357 Magnum and kill the father of three in front of his family. Mr. Atkin felt being reprimanded for speeding was enough of a reason to take a man's life.

Another issue with location, location, location

January, 2010 - Crime: Felony Assault

Santa Ana, California: A couple were gathering cardboard to recycle from behind a Sears store when CCW permit holder, Robert Bruce Rieck, saw them from across the street and shined a flashlight on them. When they attempted to explain they were merely collecting recyclables, Rieck pulled a gun on them, reportedly aiming it at the males' head. When the couple attempted to escape, Rieck shot at them.

No explanation was given as to why Rieck didn't just call and report the two to the police instead of taking matters into his own hands.

January, 2010 - Crime: Attempting to bring concealed weapons onto a Naval shipyard

Kittery, Maine: This is a two-fer. Jesus Acosta-Pileta and Juan Guevara-Pompa, CCW permit holders and truck drivers in Pennsylvania were delivering welding supplies to the Portsmouth Naval shipyard. It seems they forgot a couple of things. First thing they forgot was that the driver, Mr. Acosta-Pileta, no longer had a commercial driver's license. Second thing they forgot was that, just because you are allowed to carry in Pennsylvania doesn't mean you are allowed to carry in Maine, especially on to a military facility.

Law Abiding CCW Permit Holder??!?

Christmas Day, 2009 - Crime: Felonious Assault

Dayton, Ohio - Shamar Davis is a familiar face to law enforcement in Dayton. As a reputed 'Money Go Getter' gang member, he's had several run ins with police. And he had another on Christmas Day when he was involved in a fight at a local club that erupted into gunfire.

Did I mention that this gang member with a criminal history has a CCW permit? Yep. Real law abiding citizen using the 2nd Amendment to protect himself and his rights.

A new year, another round of 'What were they thinking?'

January, 2010 - Crime: Possession under the influence and aiming a firearm

Las Vegas, Nevada - Permit holder and body guard, Steve Sanson Jr., was running for public office but after the New Year's celebration, one wonders if he'll have a campaign, a job or a permit. It seems that after work on New Year's he decided to go out and party.

No harm in that.

Problem was, he forgot to take off his .45's, one carried on his ankle and the other on his hip, before he started drinking. Other revelers reported that he'd brandished the firearm while seemingly intoxicated and contacted authorities.

January, 2010 - Crime: Bringing firearm into a courthouse

Tampa, Florida - Permit holder, Donald Koranek, was in line to pass through the metal detectors in order to enter the courthouse when he was told that he couldn't come in with a pocket knife. He chose to leave the line. When he returned to the line a little later, he was carrying a loaded KelTec .32. Now, if he knew he couldn't get in with a pocket knife, what made him think it was appropriate to go through with a semi-automatic?

Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, and secure your firearm

December, 2009 - Crime: Possible Deadly Conduct Investigation
Sherman, Texas - After finishing lunch at Carino's Grill, a patron with a CCW permit stood up and started donning his coat to leave. His firearm, which was in his coat pocket, fell to the floor and fired. Luckily, no one was injured. According to another patron, the permit holder's response to situation was to say 'We gotta get out of here and he got up and left". (So much for responsible behavior by a permit holder.)

The police are have forwarded the case to the DA's office for possible prosecution.