Pop quiz:
Question 1: Is it wise to fire a high-velocity projectile at a barrel full of explosive material?
Question 2: Is it wise to fire multiple high-velocity projectiles at a barrel full of explosive material?
Bonus Question: Is it wise to consume alcohol prior to firing multiple high-velocity projectiles at a barrel full of explosive material?
The answer to all three questions is ‘No’. Some people apparently thought otherwise:
Police say a group was shooting targets using Tannerite, a widely available powder used in rifle targets that explodes when hit with a bullet.
“It is legal to possess,” says Sheriff Cole. “It comes with some pretty clear instructions about how to use it and the amounts to use and the distance you should be from it when you shoot it. Apparently these individuals chose not to follow the rules.”
Shortly before 2 in the afternoon, police say the group got the idea to launch a 55 gallon drum into the air using 2 pounds of Tannerite.
One of the men was sitting behind a tree eating his lunch.
“His leg, his lower leg, was sticking out from behind the tree,” says Sheriff Cole. “And when the 55 gallon metal drum exploded, a piece of shrapnel came off that drum and struck him in the leg.”
That piece of metal, ripped off when the barrel exploded, traveled 155 feet.
The man was taken to West Shore Medical Center in Manistee and initially listed in critical condition, his leg nearly severed.
Tannerite is a patented combination of ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder.
Sheriff Cole says the directions on the container of Tannerite are very clear, but alcohol and poor judgment were clearly contributing factors.
Thankfully the injured man will survive (though he’s likely to have some permanent injuries). Alcohol, firearms, and explosives are a deadly mixture. None of the people involved exhibited good judgement. Thus, none of them are responsible gun owners.
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DALLAS COWBOYS FANS URGE GUNMAN TO SHOOT HELPLESS MAN IN THE HEAD DURING TAILGATING BRAWL — AND HE DOES
The New York Daily News reported that the shooting took place at AT&T stadium in Arlington about an hour after the New England Patriots beat the Dallas Cowboys 30-6.
Witnesses reported that the two men got into an argument, which escalated to a fistfight. Then, as the gunman held his weapon to the head of the victim, the crowd urged him to shoot, which he did.
Paramedics and police were called to the scene and the unnamed victim, a male in his early 40s, was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The shooter was apprehended by police after he tripped over a low retaining wall and injured his leg while trying to flee the scene.
First off, the fuck is wrong with the fans egging the gunman on?! Yo, “pro-lifers”, this is an example of people not giving a shit about the sanctity of life.
Secondly, the gunman acted the exact opposite of a responsible gun owner. It’s bad enough the two men got into a fight in the first place. Between the culture of violence in the US and toxic masculinity, far too many men engage in violence as a means of conflict resolution. What could have ended in bruises, bloody noses, scrapes, or maybe broken bones has now resulted in one man facing life-threatening injuries bc another man thought this was an appropriate time to bring a gun into play. I don’t care if he didn’t intend to shoot the guy when he first grabbed his gun. The very introduction of a gun into a fight sends a message-“I’m willing to kill you”. Even if no shots are fired, it’s a terroristic threat against another individual.
Oh, and if you’re “responsible” enough to own a gun and “responsible” enough to fire your gun at someone, you ought to be “responsible” enough to stay around and face the consequences of your actions, not flee the scene. What a fucking heartless asshole (and the same invective applies to those fans who cheered him on).
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Am I wrong in thinking that the proper place to store a firearm-a loaded one at that-is NOT in a pouch in the backseat of a car? I mean, aren’t they supposed to be place in a safe, secure location, and not loaded until they are ready to be used? The NRA even states that is part of handling guns properly. Apparently one gun owner in South Carolina doesn’t know how to properly store a gun:
According to police, officers were called to the 1100-block of Stanley Drive Sunday afternoon around 1:24 p.m.
Officers met with a woman who says she picked up her great-nephew and was driving him around, with his grandmother in the passenger seat.
While she was driving, the young boy found a .357 revolver in the pouch on the back of the passenger seat. He then accidentally shot his 40-year-old grandmother through the passenger seat.
They were traveling through the light at Ogden Road and Heckle Boulevard when the woman heard the gun go off.
She looked in the back seat and the boy had the gun in both hands and began to cry. That’s when the grandmother said she’d been hit by the bullet in the back.
The woman reportedly drove to a family member’s home along Stanley Drive and called police.
The grandmother was transported to Carolinas Medical Center-Main in Charlotte.
Perhaps the number of accidents like this would diminish if all gun owners were required to attend mandatory gun safety courses *before* they are allowed to purchase a gun.
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The discussion of gun violence in our culture frequently focuses on mass shootings. Often overlooked in these discussions are non-fatal firearm related incidents, such as the following accidental discharge:
A 57-year-old Grandville man was injured after he was accidentally shot in the arm by a gun that was carried on the back of a golf cart.
The incident happened around 12:45 p.m. Sunday at 6660 on 20 Mile Rd. in Mecosta County.
According to the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office, Terry Apol was riding as a passenger on a golf cart on private property. A gun was carried on the back of the golf cart. As Apol and the driver were riding through a field the gun went off, hitting Apol in the upper left arm.
Apol was transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
I’ve no clue how a gun accidentally goes off in such a manner, but I’m thinking if the gun were stored properly or were unloaded Mr. Apol would not have been shot. Not sure why anyone needs a gun at a golf course, but in this country many people carry guns because they think danger lurks around every corner. Along with that, the perception that guns are a means of empowerment and protection. I think all three conclusions are questionable.
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Police: Woman shot in Dekalb road rage incident
The victim was taken to a local hospital in “serious-critical” condition. She’s been identified as 44-year-old Angelina Christiano.
Officers told Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus that Christiana was driving with her 25-year-old son when the Mustang pulled up very close behind her in the center lane.
She motioned for him to go around her, but instead he opened fire, police said.
Christiano was shot in the upper back and lost control of her vehicle on the side of Stone Mountain Freeway.
Shooting Christiano was horrible enough, but this aggressive, gun-toting asshole also jeopardized her son, and other drivers on the road with his actions. And for what? What possible justification will he offer (if he’s caught, and I hope he is) for pulling his gun in that scenario? Did she place his life in danger? Were the lives of any of his loved ones or friends in immediate danger from her? Was she threatening the lives of anyone else? No, she fucking wasn’t. And since she wasn’t, there is no reason he should have even touched his gun. As I’ve seen so often since I began this series, many incidents of gun violence occur because angry MEN lash out at the person or persons they believe are responsible for whatever act touched off their rage. Their inability to properly manage their hair-trigger tempers are bad enough, which makes the addition of a gun into the mix so much more horrible. This is one reason I support psychological testing of individuals who wish to own a gun. You ought to be able to sufficiently demonstrate an ability to manage your anger without becoming violent. If you can’t, you shouldn’t be allowed to own a gun.
