GUNS IN THE NEWS--July 21, 2004

[MrBenchley]

As CO Liberal sez:
Please try to adhere to the following voluntary guidelines, in order that we can have an orderly discussion of gun-related news topics:
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[MrBenchley]

1. Justices uphold AOL's gun rules (UT)

A rare note of sanity in gun-crazy Utah...

"Employers seeking to bar firearms from their property received a solid vote of confidence Tuesday from the Utah Supreme Court.
The justices unanimously rejected the appeal of three former America Online Inc. employees in Ogden who were fired in September 2000 for violating the Internet company's no-firearms policy.
At issue was whether AOL's property rights trumped the constitutional right to bear arms when it came to the workers - Paul Carlson, Luke Hansen and Jason Melling - transferring guns between their vehicles in a parking lot outside their place of work.
Upholding a February 2002 ruling by 2nd District Judge Roger Dutson, the state's justices found that AOL was within its rights to extend its policy - signed by all its workers - to property under its control outside the workplace."

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2379224

[Bowline]

11. AOL is perfectly within it's rights.

As a private company they should be allowed to dictate policy on their property. Why is this even an issue?

[MrBenchley]

2. Gun law targets public data

The scummy gun lobby in action...

"The document is titled "ATF Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative Trace Analysis Report."
The report talks about the guns kids used in crimes in 1999. It incorporates data from 38 cities, including Denver and Aurora. The data contain the top 10 manufacturers of guns that kids used in crimes. The data show a small percentage of gun dealers accounting for a large percentage of so-called "crime guns."
The data include all kinds of important stuff. Some researchers and citizens fear that the information will no longer be available under a new law. The law - crammed into the latest federal budget - says the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives cannot make public much of what it collects in tracing the origins of guns used in crimes.
"This is a policy of forced ignorance" meant to shield gunmakers and dealers from scrutiny and lawsuits, insisted Dennis Henigan, legal director of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence."

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~27772~2284429,00.html

[MrBenchley]

3. Police: Rebels players pointed guns (TN)

More "law-abiding responsible gun owners" no one ever has to worry about...

"Ole Miss football players Jamal Pittman and Ken Bournes brandished guns on a Memphis street early Sunday morning, leading to their arrests, according to police reports.
Both were suspended by Rebels football coach David Cutcliffe on Monday. Pittman remained in jail Tuesday awaiting a court appearance this morning.
Pittman was seen allegedly pointing a loaded Smith and Wesson 9 mm pistol with a laser sight at another car just after midnight Sunday morning. The incident report said he also waved the pistol at a plain-clothes officer, a mounted patrol officer and another person.
According to another affidavit, Bournes was seen pointing a pistol at a second car, but he put it away when told to drop it. Officers retrieved it from under the passenger seat Bournes was sitting in and found the Luger 9 mm to be loaded."

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/sports/9202628.htm

That's some glorious celebration of freedom, all right.

[MrBenchley]

4. Man found in garage dead of gunshot wound (NC)

registration required
"Charlotte-Mecklenburg police late Tuesday were interviewing a woman who called police and said she had shot her fiancée, Capt. Keith Dinkins said. Officers sent to the northeast Charlotte home she called from at about 9:30 p.m. found a man dead in the garage of the house on Sackett Way, Dinkins said. He had died of a gunshot wound."

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/9203368.htm

[MrBenchley]

5. Plains woman found murdered in her home (MT)

"MISSOULA (AP) -- A 23-year-old Plains woman was found murdered in her home Monday night, authorities said.
Aleasha Chenoweth died of multiple gunshot wounds at about 11 p.m., Sanders County Coroner Rusty Leivestad said Tuesday.
"It was a homicide, and she was dead at the scene," Leivestad said. "

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?tl=1&display=rednews/2004/07/20/build/state/63-plains-murder.inc

[MrBenchley]

6. Man shopping for cigars ends up shot, killed (CA)

Another glorious demonstration of "Second Amendment rights"...

"OAKLAND -- A 24-year-old man was shot to death late Monday as he walked to an East Oakland store to buy some cigars, police said.
Shaungo Cain was shot more than once about 10:51 p.m. in the 6500 block of International Boulevard and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Homicide Sgt. Mike Foster said Tuesday that Cain, who lived on Walnut Street, was out with some friends when he decided to buy some cigars. "

http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1726~2285178,00.html

[Bowline]

12. This had nothing to do with 2nd Amendments rights.

It had everything to do with a criminal violating the rights of his victim though. Using a gun to commit a crime is absolutely, 100% NOT an exercise of any right!

[MrBenchley]

7. Police kill suspect in shooting death of 6-year-old girl (CA)

"EL MONTE, Calif. Police have shot and killed a man suspected in the killing of a 6-year-old girl outside an El Monte Seven-Eleven store over the weekend.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the 23-year-old man was connected to Sunday's shooting, which killed Bryesha Limbrick."

http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=2068106

[MrBenchley]

8. Man sentenced to 55 years for shotgun slaying of live-in girlfriend (IN)

"WILLIAMSPORT, Ind. A man convicted in the shotgun slaying of his live-in girlfriend has been sentenced to 55 years in prison.
Twenty-four-year-old Joshua W. Holliman, of Williamsport, faced 45 to 65 years in prison for the August 10th, 2003 murder of 23-year-old NaTasha Kimberling. A jury convicted him in May.
Holliman said during his trial that he did not realize the 12-gauge shotgun was loaded when he pointed it at Kimberling and pulled the trigger in their home."

http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=2067054

[MrBenchley]

9. Suspect sought in nightclub shootings (OH)

registration required
"DAYTON | Prosecutors have approved murder charges against a man accused of shooting three people Monday in the parking lot of a West Dayton nightclub, police said Wednesday.
Police are searching for Antron Michael Davis, known as "Fat Mike," homicide Sgt. Gary White said.
White said people should be cautious, because Davis is thought to be armed with a semi-automatic handgun and is considered dangerous."

http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0721chargeweb.html

[MrBenchley]

10. Early Morning Shooting In Metro (IA)

"(Des Moines)-- Police have charged 27-year-old Tajon Robinson with attempted murder. They say he was part a fight around three Wednesday morning at the Oakridge Apartments in downtown Des Moines. Police say Robinson fired a handgun at someone and missed. Then fired again hitting 26-year-old Raymond Fuller, Jr. in the back. "

http://www.woi-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2068897&nav=1LFXP1Q4

[MrBenchley]

13. Police chiefs call for renewal of gun ban (CA)

"The federal assault-weapons ban should be renewed and improved because the gun industry has made slight changes in its weapons to evade the law, East Bay police chiefs and anti-violence advocates said Tuesday.
Word, standing before a wall memorializing slain Oakland police officers, said three city officers have been killed in the past 10 years by "cowards" armed with "copycat" assault weapons like AK-47s with no legitimate use.
Under legislation pending in Congress, the strengthened ban would expand the list of prohibited assault weapons and broaden the definition of what is illegal.
A narrow majority in the Senate favors keeping the ban, but House Republican leaders -- amid intense lobbying by the National Rifle Association -- have indicated they would block a floor vote. "

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/07/21/BAGN17PQ7O1.DTL

[Bowline]

15. "evade" or "comply"?

"The federal assault-weapons ban should be renewed and improved because the gun industry has made slight changes in its weapons to evade the law...

The manufacturers simply modified their products to comply with the law. Wasn't that the intent of the law, to get these scary looking features off of guns? It worked fantastically. Unfortunately it had no bearing whatsoever on the functionality of the weapon but they certainly looked less scary.

[MrBenchley]

16. Evade....

"Wasn't that the intent of the law, to get these scary looking features off of guns?"
Talk about evasion....

[Bowline]

17. I disagree.

Congress passed a law. The gun industry complied with the law. How is that evasion?

[MrBenchley]

18. By that "logic" or whatever the fuck it is

Cooking up crack out of cocaine is "complying" with the drug laws...

[FeebMaster]

19. Crack isn't illegal? (nt)

[Bowline]

25. ???

WTF are you talking about?

[MrBenchley]

14. Wayne Co. man gets 15 years for having guns (MO)

"CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Considered an armed career criminal, a Lodi man was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing several firearms.
U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey sentenced Leonard R. Haiman, 36, to 180 months in prison after he had earlier pleaded guilty to being a previously convicted felon in possession of firearms, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell.
With his plea, Haiman admitted that on April 11, 2002, he had firearms at his Wayne County residence when law enforcement officers went there to execute a search warrant."

http://www.darnews.com/articles/2004/07/21/news/news15.txt

[MrBenchley]

20. Two Shot in Bank Parking Lot (GA)

"Two people suffered gunshot wounds in the parking lot of a Wachovia Bank in DeKalb County about noon Wednesday. Authorities said the shooting at Flat Shoals Road and Flat Shoals Parkway appeared to be the result of a domestic dispute."

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=49500

[MrBenchley]

21. Police investigate report of man carrying rifle near train tracks (CT)

"Officers received a complaint that two men, carrying a rifle, were in the wooded area of the railroad tracks off Rowe Avenue July 15 at 9 p.m.
Other complaints of shots being fired also were called in around that time.
Responding officers reportedly found Jams Santos, 19, of 48 Munson St., in the wooded area and a .22 caliber rifle nearby."

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1347&dept_id=432992&newsid=12421831&PAG=461&rfi=9

[MrBenchley]

22. Pistol packing (VA)

More on the numbnutz lugging their pistols around in the old Dominion...

"One can only hope that the owners of private establishments stick to their rights and make their property off limits to wannabe cowboys openly toting firearms. One hopes, too, that common sense prevails and that people leave their guns at home unless they're going hunting or target shooting. If there's a surge of people exercising their rights to carry guns in the open, well, sooner or later that could lead to situations that get handled in ways that harm innocents. Then the pistol-packing citizens will find out about their Sixth Amendment rights - the ones that guarantee speedy and public trials. "

http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-46018sy0jul21,0,887525.story?coll=dp-opinion-editorials

[iverglas]

23. "It's legal."

It's legal. But is it safe? Is it intelligent? Is it necessary? Does it add to the richness and fullness of our culture?

(Now, lemme see if I've got this right ...)

Who gives a shit?!?!

I think that's how it goes.

[Bowline]

24. I guess I'm a numbnutz then.

I had dinner last night at Champps in Fairfax, the restaurant mentioned in the article. I was armed, as were several of my dining companions. No one called the police. No one made an issue of it. It was just dinner.

One hopes, too, that common sense prevails and that people leave their guns at home unless they're going hunting or target shooting.

Criminals agree.

...sooner or later that could lead to situations that get handled in ways that harm innocents. Then the pistol-packing citizens will find out about their Sixth Amendment rights - the ones that guarantee speedy and public trials.

I fully support prosecuting anyone who uses a gun to commit a crime.

It's legal. But is it safe? Is it intelligent? Is it necessary? Does it add to the richness and fullness of our culture?

It's a RIGHT! Remember those???