Something scary happened yesterday

H

Hardcase

New member
Yesterday (Saturday) was a pretty big day. We had a charity shooting event at the range to raise money for breast cancer treatment. Over the past four years, we've raised over $15,000, so the shooting community is very supportive.

After the event, I hotfooted it over to the semi-monthly gun show that another club hosts at the local fairgrounds. While I was there, almost the worst thing that you can imagine happened. A guy bought a gun at the show, took it out to his truck, loaded it and accidentally shot himself in the chest. When I left the show, the paramedics were desperately trying to save him, but he died at the scene.

I'm posting this here because I consider all of you my friends, even though I haven't met any of you personally. But I'd like to be able to have that chance, someday, so I just wanted to remind everyone to please be careful and deliberate while handling your firearms. Yesterday's news was terrible to hear and I'd hate to hear it about any of you, your families or your friends.

Please take care.
 
No, the police haven't released any details, other than that he had opened the door to his truck and was found slumped over the seat. His .45 caliber pistol was in the truck.

It caps off a rather disturbing weekend - three teens in eastern Idaho were injured on Friday when they were shooting with a 20 gauge shotgun and a convenience store clerk was shot in a robbery. Our little corner of the world is normally very quiet and this sort of thing is well out of the ordinary.
 
That's sad. Muzzle control is everything.

The late great Walter Cline, after whom the NMLRA range in Friendship is named, died via a firearms accident.
 
suicide is painless....
Click to expand...

That there is among the biggest of the lies the Hippie Generation gave us.

Nevermind that a .45 to the chest has GOT to HURT (and would not be intantaneous)...... as the sibling of someone who shot themselves, I can tell you it HURTS those left behind. It has been almost 20 years since my brother shot himself, and I am still angry and hurt about it.
 
Whether it was a suicide or an accident - there are very two good lessons that go along with it. And I say this with conviction and compassion.

First - As someone who has "worked" suicides as an ambulance attendant many years ago and then later on Fire/Rescue - there is nothing that bad nor serious enough that justifies a person taking their own life. As already stated by a forum member here, those left behind will always have to live with the questions, pain and loss. I have had many sleepless nights over the years from sights that I cannot erase from my mind and from feeling the pain that I hae seen the victim's family and friends experience. We are all human and we all get depressed at times. However, we all need to be aware of the signes that a potential suicide victim exhibits and try and see that they get help to get better. It's a very simple thing to reach out and help another person when they need it and sometimes all it takes is understanding and a showing that someone cares. Nuff said on that.

The second thing we can learn from this is if it was an accident, we all need to stop, everytime we handle a firearm . . . and remember that it is our responsibility to handle it in a responsible manner. We all know the first rule of firearms safety . . . "treat every firearm as if it is loaded". We all need to not only "police" ourselves in regards to this, but others as well. Know where that muzzle is pointing at all times. Firearms are not toys . . and when we see someone handling them as such, they need to be reminded of that. Personally, I have no problem in "chewing a second one" when I observe someone mishandling a firearm. I'd much rather embarass someone than see someone hurt.

This is truly a sad tale but I am glad it has been shared with us here on the forum. Regardless of whether any of us have met each other in person, I feel a "kinship" with everyone here and nobody wants hear about or see another person hurt. Be safe my friends and thank you for the reminder. Sometimes a "refresher" on being safe is the kindest gift a person can give another.
 
This is something that has stuck with me for some time now;

"You should never point a loaded gun at anyone. This is not a hard and fast rule, however. A hard and fast rule is that you should never, ever, point an unloaded gun at anyone." P.J. O'Rourke

Gun safety has to be at the top of your list everytime without exception.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top