Motorist shoots, kills man after tomatoes thrown at car

[AWD]

http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=13&ID=118772&r=0

<snip>

According to a sheriff's department news release, after a northbound Lincoln or Cadillac was struck with tomatoes, the driver stopped, got out and threatened to shoot whoever threw the tomatoes.


The vehicle continued northbound, then turned around and drove past the cornfield again. The car was struck with tomatoes a second time.


About 25 minutes later the vehicle traveled past the cornfield two more times. On a third pass, the driver stopped and challenged the group to throw more tomatoes, then fired three to five rounds into the cornfield, striking Keim multiple times.

MORE

Geez, WHY would someone fire into a group of kids over TOMATOES????

[toddzilla]

1. watch

bowling for columbine.

makes me ill....

it's just a godddamn car, and it isn't even damaged.

[tabasco]

2. Because they are a criminal?

Lacking understanding of the value of human life.

[diamond14]

3. another example of the growing split between the rich and the

poor...this will get worse and worse, as the rich hide in their cadillacs and gated communities...stealing their corporate riches and impoverishing more and more of America...

gosh, the shrub keeps heavily armed snipers on the roof of the White House now...the snipers built two control houses up there, destroying the ambiance of the people's house...you can no longer walk AROUND the White House, as the SS has blocked off the side walkways, where tourists with their children used to pass by (and those big black wrought iron spiked fences weren't enough for the shrub...

let them eat cake...that's the attitude of the rich now...used to be a little philanthropic stuff from the rich..now, the NEW SHRUB America...just KILL those who throw tomatoes...

IMHO, there could be a very serious revolution....so many becoming poorer and more desperate everyday....

[mbperrin]

20. They gotta come out

sometime!

[Catherine Vincent]

4. There may be more to the story but from what is reported

that guy was itching to shoot off his gun. What a fucking dumbass. Now he has taken a life because his damn precious car got splattered with tomatoes and paint. Why did he have to drive by 3 times?

[Nlighten1]

7. He had an ichy trigger finger...

Why else would you keep driving past a place where you suspected you would get hit by tomatoes? And then do it again and again until you, for some strange reason, feel you have justification to bust a cap off in someone.

[slackmaster]

5. Do you know how much work it takes to grow good tomatoes?

:shrug:

I can't explain the behavior of anyone involved in the incident. They're all wackos.

The shooting was obviously unjustified, but throwing stuff at a guy who threatened to shoot you is just plain dumb.

[billbuckhead]

6. The perp was a gunwacko, they wait just wait for opportunities....

to display their "courage" preventing crime. Just ask John Lott/Mary Rosh about all the crime guns prevent. I bet that more often it turns out like this, but it's hard to absolutely prove. Guns turn pissing matches into death and destruction.

[slackmaster]

30. I doubt that he was thinking that deeply about it

The shooter is an asshole who deserves to go to prison for a very long time.

[bvar22]

8. Clearly these children were terrorists....

and the Patriotic driver of the Cadillac (w/bush*/cheney* stickers?) was defending the rights of all TRUE Americans. Real Patriots don't need to bother with due process anymore. Just call them terrorists and kill'em.

[zekeson]

9. Yes, and thank Jeebus for concealed carry laws

that allowed this decent, law abiding and upstanding member of the Repuggly comunity the opportunity to have his sidearm handy to show those punks that he could and would defend his property.
:puke:

[DoNotRefill]

18. Sorry....

Ohio doesn't yet have a CCW law in place, at least as far as I know. There's one in the works, but it's not active yet.

[NickB79]

25. Where does it say he had a CCW?

As already pointed out, Ohio doesn't allow CCW, so this guy obviously wasn't "decent, law abiding and upstanding".

[slackmaster]

31. Did this shooter have a concealed carry permit?

[demdave]

48. There are none in Ohio and the one they want to pass doesn't cover cars

You would not be able to drive with a loaded weapon. As a matter of fact, the CCW law they are trying to get through is tighter, on the case of transporting in a vehicle, than the law is now. I believe you would have to have the ammo locked away from the weapon.

[slackmaster]

54. And when they DO pass one, as they should

We know one Cadillac owner who won't qualify for a permit.

[bluestateguy]

10. Well

I don't condone what the man did. But had these kids not thrown tomatoes this might not have happened.

[damnraddem]

13. We understand the part about not throwing tomatoes at cars.

The point is that the gun-toting wacko was cruising for an excuse to off the folks who threw them at his car the first time. I hope he gets a long, long jail sentence.

[neomonkey]

16. Whatif whatif whatif

We can play the whatif game until we've wittled away all of life's possibilities to one simple "what if human life never existed."

The kids were stupid, they were being kids. I've done stupid shit like this before. They should know better. The guy in the car obviously instigated further attacks, he desired to feed his rage further by continuing to drive through an area he didn't have any need to drive through other than attract tomato attacks.

[Bake]

44. The shooter went back three times!

I myself never threw tomatos at a car as a kid. My group preferred water balloons. We'd always run like hell, for sure, but we never expected to get SHOT at!

One Halloween we accidentally WB'd a cop car. Hid in the woods for HOURS afterwards!

:-)

Bake

[RapidCreek]

49. So what is your point?

Sounds to me like you do condone what the man did. Fact is, if the fucker hadn't had a gun at his disposal, it COULDN'T have happened. He's just another example of a chickenshit coward living a gun inspired John Wayne hardguy fantasy. Yep streets filled with guys like him would no doubt make America a safer place.

RC

[Pert_UK]

11. Attack of the killer tomatoes.......

Clearly the kids shouldn't have been throwing tomatoes, but this is another example of a situation where the presence of a gun enabled an unbalanced person the easy means of killing somebody.

If only one of the kids had been armed, then this tragedy might never have happened...

:eyes:

P

[damnraddem]

14. Yeah, if one of the kids had been armed:

1. the guy might have been shot dead in the first place, along with some other motorists;
2. the confrontation might have turned into a gun battle, in which bystanders got killed; or
3. the kid's gun might not have worked because it was gunked up with tomato juice.

[damnraddem]

12. But, officer, they were putting my life in danger ...

by throwing tomatoes at my car -- each and every time I cruised past to see whether they would dare do it again. What could I do other than wipe them out?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

15. Well, considering this guy is now going to prison

it certainly is now in danger.

[Muddleoftheroad]

17. Actually, true

Both sides were assholes, both committed felonies. Sorry that someone ended up dead as a result.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

24. Throwing tomatoes is a felony?

Throwing tomatoes is a prank, and it's a misdemeanor. And it doesn't warrant the death penalty.

[DoNotRefill]

27. deliberately throwing a missile at an occupied vehicle...

is a felony in many places. It doesn't matter what kind of "missile" it is, be it a rock, a tomato, or a styrofoam peanut.

[Muddleoftheroad]

33. Moving car

Throwing things at a moving car is assault and battery and reckless endangerment and a host of other things no doubt. I don't advocate what happened to this youthful idiots, but anyone who was part of this should be charged and charged harshly. Throwing things at moving vehicles can easily cause accidents and kill people.

[saigon68]

39. ENDANGERING SAFETY

IS A FELONY;

SOME ASSHOLE IN EAU CLAIRE WI THREW A WATER BALLOON AT A WINDSHIELD, DRIVER LOST CONTROL 2 people were KILLED misdemeanor hell

[joshcryer]

46. This couldn't be construed as a defensive measure...

...I don't see how it could.

[Muddleoftheroad]

55. It's not

If he shot from the moving vehicle, maybe he could take a lame attempt to argue that, he didn't. But both sides are seriously guilty of felonies it appears.

[demdave]

47. Don't forget the paintball gun....they all need jail time.

We had an incident here were 3 idiots with a paintball gun in a car were doing drivebys on people on the streets. A young lady was blinded in her right left because of it. At that point I would say you have the right to defend yourself with lethal force.

In a car, however, you do not. I would have suggested a baseball bat. Or better yet, a cop. The guy had a couple hours to find one.


spelling edit.

[RapidCreek]

50. What state do you live in?

Throwing tomatos is NOT a felony.

RC

[demdave]

52. Sub. S.B. 163*

The bill prohibits a person from knowingly, and by any means, dropping or throwing any object at, onto, or in the path of any of the following: (1) any "vehicle," "streetcar," or "trackless trolley" on a "highway," or (2) any boat or "vessel" on any of the "waters in this state" (see below for definitions of the terms in quotation marks).
A violation of the prohibition is the offense of "vehicular vandalism." Generally, vehicular vandalism is a misdemeanor of the first degree. However: (1) if the violation creates a substantive risk of physical harm to any person or the violation causes serious physical harm to property, the offense is a felony of the fourth degree, (2) further, if the violation causes actual physical harm to any person, the offense is a felony of the third degree, and (3) if the violation causes serious physical harm to any person, the offense is a felony of the second degree. (R.C. 2909.09(B) and (C).)


Don't know if it passed. It was introduced in 09/25/01

[RapidCreek]

61. OK so it is a first degree MISDEMEANOR, not a felony.

which is exactly my point. The driver of the car was not injured in any way shape or form.

RC

[no one in particular]

19. Did this guy think he'd get away with it?

I'm a big pro-gunner, but what kind of moron is this guy? Does he think he can shoot this guy and then drive away as if nothing happened? Did he think at all?

He'll have plenty of time to think about it now.

[opihimoimoi]

22. Yup, no more guns for him where he going to

Oh well,

Come, we worry about dying reefs and the melting ice caps, the over population, the astroid coming our way, the National Debt, the military getting shot and killed daily, the chipmunks and squirels, the, the Pubs taking over, etc etc

Come, we go bar drink

[absolutezero]

53. i feel the same way

I have absolutely no problem with hunting rifles/shotguns and handguns for target shooting, but this guy was completely insane.

I'm also getting sick of the "get rid of guns because they kill people" talk. If they're outlawed people will find other ways to kill each other...

[Cronus Protagonist]

21. Was that a drive-by fruiting?

Just wondering.

Click Here To See Fair & Balanced Buttons, Stickers & Magnets!>

[delete_bush]

23. Nope...

ketchup's a vegetable

[rooboy]

26. Actually, tomatoes are a fruit. n/t

[Cronus Protagonist]

28. I think they knew that

Republicans classified ketchup as a vegetable for school lunches so they wouldn't have to pay for real fresh vegetables. I think it was intended to be a sardonic response :)

Click Here To See Fair & Balanced Buttons, Stickers & Magnets!>

[Zero Gravitas]

34. St. Ronnie

St. Ronnie's "Education" Department said ketchup was a vegetable (so they wouldn't have to pay to provide a decent meal to poor kids) and if St. Ronnie says so you must be ome sorta commie French-loving un-Amurcan liberal to disagree!

;)

[Pert_UK]

29. Isn't this a Monty Python sketch???

John Cleese running a self-defense class to protect yourself from fruit-wielding attackers? He persuades a bloke to run at him with a banana and then shoots him?

Unbelievable.

Thank fuck this guy wasn't passing through that recent tomato-chucking festival.

P.

[slackmaster]

32. He should have released the tiger instead

:shrug:

I don't know much about how kids are raised in Ohio, but my mama always taught me never to throw things at cranky old people who threaten to shoot me.

[cmd]

35. More on the story from local paper

http://www.timesreporter.com/left.php?ID=22246&r=0

Comment on this story.
Killing in Holmes -- Man opens fire on group throwing tomatoes at vehicles
By The Associated Press
(snip)
MOUNT HOPE (AP) – A motorist fired a shotgun into a cornfield at a group that threw tomatoes at his car, killing a 23-year-old man of Amish heritage, authorities said.
(snip)
The group told the Holmes County sheriff’s office that they were throwing tomatoes and firing paintball guns at passing vehicles.

Holmes County has its share of thrown vegetables and other pranks by young people in the Amish community every fall, Chief Deputy Nathan Fritz said.
(snip)
Although Keim was reared Amish, the self-employed roofing contractor had a driver’s license and had left the Amish church, Fritz said.

Many Amish teenagers, like the group in the cornfield, experiment with popular culture then later return to the Amish lifestyle, Fritz said.

MORE

[slackmaster]

40. Paintball guns too?

That does kick it up a notch, but not to the level where a shotgun blast would be appropriate.

[Corgigal]

36. We could have used this

big ole Alpha male in Iraq. He and the Cadillac could have been shipped over there. It's easy to shot at sniper children who are unharmed, let him try his luck over where adults are armed.
Too bad, he missed his chance.

[rocktivity]

37. I have no sympathy for him

If the throwers can be taken to task because they should have known better, espcially if they're youngsters, then the driver should be held equally responsible for his own lack of maturity. He openly provoked the escalation of the attack. Why not simply drive to the nearest police station?


rocknation

[slackmaster]

41. I can't imagine even driving to the police station over that incident

Someone hit his car with vegetables and maybe a paint ball or two. BFD. I'd just laugh it off...

...and get revenge later on. How many Amish corn fields in Ohio have had crop circles?

[rocktivity]

45. B-F-D my A-S-S

See posts 27, 33, and 39.


rocknation

[Catherine Vincent]

51. In this case it was no BFD,

if it was the driver wouldn't have turned around and driven by the cornfield three times to get hit.

Admit it, that guy wanted to shoot off his damn gun.

[NashVegas]

42. Is 23 Really a "Youngster?"

Most kids get out of the 'let's throw snowballs at cars' phase by the time they're old enough to drive, themselves, if not before.

This guy was an immature idiot.

Which is not to let the shooter off the hook. In all likelihood, the guy just plain snap-ped. The reports say he returned with the gun after a 25-30 minute period. He needs to turn himself in; all the police will have to do is look for owners of similar cars in a 10-15 minute radius and he's toast.

[Judi Lynn]

38. AWD, if you hear more on this, would you please post it here?

Really hope they catch the guy who shot at these Amish kids.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congratulations on your energetic leadership in the demonstration during _{pResident Bush's} trip there! Saw the clip in General Discussion. :kick: :kick: :kick:

Hope he knows there's more where THAT came from!

[Logansquare]

43. I grew up in Ohio on the border of Amish country

These kids, being raised Amish, would have no concept that their lives would really be in danger from hitting cars with tomatoes and paintballs. Interpersonal violence is strongly condemned in the community. That means hitting or hurting *people* not objects. How could they know that messing with someone's car would be a death sentence?

Reminds me of the Japanese teenager who was shot and killed in Louisiana by a man who felt "threatened" by him because he had an accent and was dressed like Elvis (for Haloween). I grew up with guns, but not with this paranoid gun culture that seems to be taking over the minds of Americans.

[berry]

56. Also, it sounded as if this business of throwing tomatos, at least (not

the paintballs), is some sort of local custom in the fall? Or at least not unknown. (I didn't register so couldn't read the whole article.) Anyway, that might explain why someone a little older might engage in what they must all have thought (foolishly) was a prank.

[Logansquare]

58. It's called Rumspringa

It means "running around" or "running wild." The Amish allow late teens and early twenties members to live like the "English" (us) and drive, drink, listen to rap, whatever for a little while and then freely choose whether to rejoin the Amish community or stay with the English. It used to be pretty innocuous, because the outside society was fairly tame, but in recent years some youths have really gotten into trouble with drugs and alcohol.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

57. Three times I've witnessed gun abuse by "responsible gun owners"

My father kept his dad's police weapon...fully loaded and with no safety lock. We didn't find out until my mom turned it into the police several years after he died.

My brother, in the midst of an argument with my dad one night, ran out to his glove compartment and grabbed his pistol...fully loaded with the safety on, and threatened my dad with it. He still insists that he's never acted irresponsibly.

My brother and I once ran around the corner to help a neighbor whose car had been hit by a couple of guys who were clearly under the influence of something. They were angry that the car had been parked on the street, and started punching out windows. When my brother told them to cut it out, they started punching him out instead. That's when my level-headed neighbor emerged with his gun, waving it around on the porch, fully loaded, no safety. The guys stopped hitting my brother; but geeeeeeeeze!

It only takes one moment of unchecked anger to kill someone with a gun. I don't think we're sufficiently evolved to responsibly handle the hormone rush that's ignited in situations like the latter two I've described with a gun in hand. I'm certain that law enforcement officials train carefully to deal with similar circumstances; and even the best of them have had momentary lapses of judgement.

[slackmaster]

59. No, those were not responsible gun owners

As a responsible gun owner I do not appreciate your attempt at sarcasm. There's nothing funny about criminal misuse of firearms.

If your family didn't turn your bother or the neighbor to the police for their criminal actions, you are part of the problem as far as I am concerned.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

60. As a matter of fact, the police were called on both occasions...

though no arrests were made, with the exception of the two guys that plowed into my neighbors car.

And I'm not being sarcastic at all. I simply have seen too many instances in which guns and people do not mix. Human nature (specifically brain chemistry) is too volatile, in my opinion.

Nevertheless, I can respect the fact that you do not feel the same way. I hope you can continue to be a responsible gun owner.

[Judi Lynn]

62. Update on your story:

Ohio Amish Community Shaken by Shooting Back


(snip) It's an annual prank in this tranquil Amish community, where men wear straw hats and women bonnets and plain dresses: Youngsters hide in cornfields and hurl tomatoes at passing cars.

This year, the mischief turned deadly.

A motorist who had been pelted several times on Labor Day got out of his car and fired three to five rounds into the 7-foot-high corn, killing 23-year-old Steven L. Keim.

No arrest has been made.

Residents are reeling from shock, unable to understand why anybody would retaliate so violently. Authorities say the county hadn't seen a firearm-related homicide in about three decades.

"The prank has gone on for years and years," said Marty Yoder, who owns Marty's Shoes in this town about 60 miles south of Cleveland. "All over the county it's been happening every year." (snip/...)

http://www.620ktar.com/news/article.aspx?article_id=209865&cc=012345