A Flash of Anger, A Wave of Regret

February, 2010 - Crime: Domestic violence, Murder

Westford, Massachusetts - There was no reporting of why Brian Marchand felt the need to obtain a CCW permit for his firearms. What we do know is after a period of having marital and financial problems, he chose to use his firearms to kill his only child, a 17 year old daughter named Olivia, attempt to kill his wife, Jody, and then turn the gun on himself.

Our condolences to the family.

February, 2010 - Crime: Malicious Assault, brandishing a firearm, using a firearm in a felony, resisting arrest

Fairfax, Virginia - Jose Avila, a CCW permit holder, was annoyed because he didn't like where Floriano Whitwell and Matthew Dumas had parked their vehicles. He honked his horn at them and drove off, only to return a few minutes later. Only this time he pointed a gun at the two men. Avila fled the scene but was quickly apprehended by police who found a 9mm Astra A-90 loaded with 14 hollow point bullets.

Avila was caught so quickly because the men he aimed the gun at were federal marshalls with their badges hanging around their neck.

And who was Avila that he would be aiming a firearm loaded with hollow point bullets at police? A former priest and anger management counselor used by the Domestic Relations Court in Fairfax Co., VA.

Slightly Off Topic, But In The Ball Park

While this blog is specifically for documenting individuals with CCW who abuse the privilege by committing crimes, this situation is extremely similiar and is a major story here in Kentucky. I vacillated on whether to place it here and decided that I would but mention that while I cannot verify that Steve Nunn had a CCW, I have had it confirmed that he had a standard gun license which was revoked when the original order of protection was issued.

Once again I want to make this very clear - My issue is not with responsible, law abiding citizens owning firearms. My issue is with individuals who break their end of the bargain and use those guns illegally or irresponsibly. And law abiding means actually abiding by the law, not you haven't been caught before.

That said, here's the piece:

Tragedy In The Blue Grass

She was an intelligent, accomplished woman, he was the son of a famous governor.

Once they were fiances, now apparently they are victim and murderer.

Amanda Ross had taken all the steps you should take if you find yourself in an abusive relationship. She separated from the abuser and got an order of protection. The order even included the extension that Steven Nunn was not to "possess, purchase or attempt to possess, purchase or obtain a firearm during the duration of the order."

So the question is begged - how did Steve Nunn get a gun?

When these orders are issued, who handles the follow through?

Did police go to his home and confiscate his firearms to make sure he had none in his possession?

Was his name placed on the NCIC?

Without follow through, this is an empty demand as someone willing to commit domestic violence, physically committing assault on a loved one, is not obviously not the law abiding citizen willing to play by the rules. And without the information open to the business community, even the most scrupulous gun store owner can be placed in the situation of realizing that he has inadvertantly sold a gun to a murderer.

Kentucky legislators need to re-evaluate the means by which we protect crime victims from the criminals, how we can make sure that when we demand as a society that a criminal have his guns taken away that no matter how well connected he may be, that he not be able to obtain another firearm without alerting police.

We owe it to Amanda.

Update August 11, 2009

August 2009 - Crimes: Domestic Violence - Murder

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20090809/NEWS01/908090310



Heath, Ohio - Robert Channel and his wife, Vicki had been in a domestic violence cycle for some time. This cycle had involved the criminal justice system. And yet he was able to get a concealed carry permit. He was also able to then murder his wife and then commit suicide.



August 2009 - Crimes: Criminal recklessness, intimidation with a weapon, pointing a loaded weapon, resisting law enforcement

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/09/man-accused-pointing-gun-threatening-party-goers/



Mount Vernon, Indiana - Benjamin Bredemeier, a CCW permit holder, showed up at a party uninvited because he had heard that his ex-girl friend and her new boyfriend would be attending. He attempted to provoke a fight with the new boyfriend and when asked to leave the home he pointed the gun in the person's face. He later told investigators that he wanted to confront his girlfriend, get his property back and that he was upset about the end of their relationship.



August 2009 - Crimes: Production of marijuana and possession of an explosive devices

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-guns-drugs-nudity-081009,0,7118287.story



Kissimee, Florida - William Scott Clark, a CCW permit holder was arrested for cultivating approximately 40 pot plants. When his trailer was searched, his girlfriend admitted to the cultivation but stated that Clark had moved the plants. The plants were discovered at a friends house with Clark's Mac-11 submachine gun, a .50 caliber sniper rifle, Browning semi-automatics mounted on tripods, live mortar rounds, launching tubes and several home made bombs.



August 2009 - Crimes: Possession of a firearm on school grounds, trespassing on school property with a weapon and resisting officers without violence.

http://www.sunjournal.com/node/103159



Miami, Florida - Jeffrey Weinsier, a reporter at a local television station, had obtained a CCW permit after receiving death threats due to a prior new story. When he was scheduled to do a report at a local high school, he was asked by the safety office not to bring his firearm onto school property due to state laws. He had two choices, he could lock his firearm in the news van or he could do the story next to schol property. Jeff decided to take the road less travelled and take the third option and had to pay an $11,000 bond for the privileges.

Some statistics to this point

I thought for the sake of information that I'd look at what we've found in about a month of digging.

From Oct. 2004 to early August 2009, these states have had crimes committed by individuals who had been documented by the press as having previously obtained concealed carry permits:

Ohio (9)
Pennsylvania (5)
Florida (4)
North Carolina (3)
New York (3)
Michigan (3)
Washington (2)
Utah (2)
South Carolina (1)
Kansas (1)
Montana (1)
Oklahoma (1)
Idaho (1)
Kentucky (1)
Alabama (1)
California (1)
Colorado (1)
West Virginia (1)

And the list of actual crimes:

Murder, Attempted Murder, Manslaughter, Assault, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Domestic Violence, Child Sodomy, Domestic Terrorism, Assaulting a Police Officer, Stalking, Aggrevated Menacing, Promoting Illegal Gambling, Organ Trafficking, Impersonating a Police Officer, Felony Road Rage, Reckless Endangerment, Resisting Arrest, DUI/DWI, Using a Firearm While Intoxicated, Hit and Run, Drug Possession, Drug Paraphenalia, Possession of a Firearm in a Courthouse, Possession of a Firearm on School Property, Possession of a Firearm in an Airport, Falsifying Legal Documents, Giving a Firearm to a Prohibited Person, Animal Cruelty, Criminal Mischief, oh yeah, and Speeding.

Now once again, as I said in my very first post, this isn't about lambasting those individuals who utilize firearms legally and responsibly. This is about refuting the myth that the NRA espouses that all the folks who get CCW's are law abiding citizens and that there's no need for regulation. If we are going to have a reasonable, rational discussion, we have to have the facts on the table and the myths dispelled.