a man killed himself at an indoor range today

My favorite indoor range requires a PTP or PTC to rent when alone. If you do not have either you must also " rent " the services of their RSO. Seems like a logical safety step.
 
Onward Allusion, I had a very similar reaction to the OP. The misanthropic side of my personality applauded the guy for not trying to take out a public school during his suicide quest.
 
Guns aren't the cause of suicide, but they make it easier for a person to do it. I also agree that it is better that they take themselves out with a gun, than if they take others with them. It also sucks for the LEO used to do suicide by cop.
 
I'm not sad, I'm angry about this! Angry at the jerk who selfishly blew his brains out at a range where someone is operating a business that benefits all of us who enjoy shooting. Risking the safety of those at the range, including any children that might be their with their parents learning to shoot! Not to mention what this act does to the guy's family who has to endure lots of publicity over the guy's choice to off himself in public at a gun range.

People like this screw it up for all of us. Thoughtlessly selfish. Pure selfishness. Y'all can be sad about it - I'm angry and not ashamed to admit it.

Skans, save your anger. When a person arrives at this stage, their brain is not functioning properly at a molecular level.
 
Like many said depression changes your mind completely. To the man, it was in his mind the most rational thought there was. Depression is more than just being sad or having a bad day. Depression is a state of mind. In severe cases, like this one, it leads you down scary roads and into dark places. Plus there's people that are more than just depressed, one can have more complicated and severe mental illnesses.

Someone else mentioned it already, and I'd like to repeat it for those that don't quite understand. Be a friend to people. It seems like most suicides you hear about are people who thought they were alone. There's also people that are just plum crazy, not everyone can be saved. Some also can't let go of their past. But if there's someone out there you just don't like, say hi anyways. You never know, that little bit of communication could be all it takes to keep them from going over that edge. Make a point to talk to people. Let's be adults. Once you're out of high school there's no such thing as the cool kids, so don't be stuck pretending to be one. Be the person that talks to everyone. Even if it's just a simple conversation. You never know, maybe it's your own life you're saving. More than likely though, you're gaining a friend and that will better your own mental health.
 
And when they stop taking antidepressants... For whatever reason.... Look out. I've had a loved one go through that as well too
 
Long ago a girlfriend's sister committed suicide for less than no apparent reason. It devastated that family with undeserved guilt. I knew her and can't imagine that was the intent.

The problem with mental illness is psychiatry is a voodoo science at best. This woman's shrink was just as surprised as everybody else in that case.
 
The problem with mental illness is psychiatry is a voodoo science at best.....
I 110% agree with that statement. They've replaced lobotomies, torture, abuse and electric shock therapy with chemical cocktails in order to clean up their image... That's it.
 
I've had a brother with schizophrenia (he passed away a couple years ago) and a brother and sister who have both been hospitalized at times with suicidal depression. And a cousin (he and I were very close) who shot himself in the head in the middle of a fight with his wife.
Depression is a sad and serious mental condition. Not all can be saved. But love and friendliness can help a lot. Medications seem to subdue their personalities in ways similar to but less tramatically than a lobotomy. So I agree to some extent with rickyrick above.
I've thought since my cousin killed himself that it would be a good thing to put a few reasonable restrictions in place to prevent the mentally ill from having access to guns. How to do that and still preserve all our second amendment freedoms is the trick. I don't know if there can even be an appropriate balance. Regulations and rules are always second best to businesses being responsible and good friend and family support, with caring and love. I am certain we would be having less lone wolf attacks if friend and family relationships were stronger and held in higher priority.
 
Looks like this has happened before at Red's Range. This report is from 2012

2012 Reds Range shooting self inflicted or??

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/topic/239437/gonew/1

The older I get, the more I feel the tragedy of someone killing themselves. I have known a number of people who self murdered, and I have known many more who died young due to cancer, medical conditions, and accidents. All terrible. I don't know what could be done for the suicides, Matt, for example, ran rifle matches, a young, bright man, seemed happy, and it was a shock to find out that he killed himself. Whatever depression he had, it did not show to us, his friends, and we are less for the loss of him.

I guess the depressed people who kill themselves at a gun range don't realize the trauma they put others through, those who are witnesses, those who are relatives and friends.
 
A number of years ago we had a suicide at our local gun club. Not at the range but at the picnic grounds...he hung himself. I certainly hope we don't have another one inside the range or out, particularly on my watch.
 
From mehavey:

It's the Gun Range Loophole don't you know ?



From the linked article:

"But federal background checks aren’t allowed for rental customers. “When an individual is acquiring a firearm for rental purposes, the individual is not expected to remove the firearm from the premises,” explained Stephen Fischer of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services. “Therefore, no firearm background check may be conducted by the NICS because the person is not ‘possessing or receiving’ the firearm for personal use off of the firearm owner’s property.”

I'd like to see a legal eagle's opinion on that. Not that I'm advocating more background checks, but if it solves a problem (allegedly), why can't a gun range have access to the NICS system?
A NICS check is not going to tell you if the renter intends to commit suicide.
 
Quite frankly how many of you want some politician telling you how much pain you have to endure?

Yes many of these people do not take full advantage of their options before they resort to suicide. I sure do not want some politico telling me what I have to endure.

I am alive only because I keep up with my medical screening. The stuff that I worked with for the four years that I was a college Biology and Chemistry lab tech. disabled me and one day will lead to my early death. When I get to that point I want my options open.
 
I think the solution is to have signs that say "No Suicides Permitted Here". But seriously, I am a bit surprised that this does not happen more often considering how common suicide is in this country.
 
indoor range suicides have happened twice near me. I'm kinda mixed about how I feel about this type of tragedy. One side is the fact of "what a selfish POS resorting to suicide by means of a bullet in the brain, potentially endangering all those around the immediate area" , then I flip to a different perspective which is "thank god he put a bullet in his own brain and not the brains of other innocent people" (ie ex wife , ex girlfriend , ex girlfriends' new boyfriend) and so on...
 
The motivation itself may not have an ounce of selfishness in it, but the act leaves many burdened.

While certainly true, I don't see the burden on those left behind as significantly worse than the burden left by an accidental death, or a sudden unanticipated death from a heart attack or other condition.

This isn't the place to discuss the morality of suicide, and I'm not going to.

All the things already said apply, the way it was done was truly a very selfish act.

Renting a gun, and killing yourself at a public range is something I personally consider particularly dishonorable. My sympathy for those who had to witness it, and those who have to deal with the consequences. For the one who did it, and deliberately chose to do it that way, I have only contempt.
 
This isn't the place to discuss the morality of suicide, and I'm not going to.
I agree with this, but a little age and experience has seemed to present to me the idea that my snap judgements in the past with regards to suicide may not be entirely accurate. Again, it goes well beyond what is on-topic here at TFL forums, but it's kind of like what I had nearly always thought & assumed about eating disorders such as anorexia/bulimia. Extremely easy for a "regular" guy like me to take George Carlin's words and hold them near & dear... however, those words are merely the EASY answer and do not reflect the depth of reality.

I would love to share Carlin's words, but they are even more inappropriate than this discussion. ;)

Often I truly wish we had a whole separate are of this site where completely non-gun related topics could be discussed. I understand TFL's position on this and fully respect that position. And it's often said that "there are hundreds of places on the 'net for such discussions" however what is missing from THAT truism is that is these people here that I choose and wish to share discussions with, and not random English speaking internet guy.

We had a totally offtopic forum on a hockey discussion forum I was very active at and we had some of the greatest conversations I can recall, simply because we were all friends before we had a single discussion.

In a half-hearted attempt to keep my post topic-related, one of our most popular indoor ranges here in my town has had two suicides. Only one was on the range... the other one was in the parking lot, inside the car of the lady who purchased the new gun. No NICS or Federal form or even sales tax and inflated ammo price derailed her from her goal.
 
Back
Top