An Ohio gun shop owner refused to sell a gun to a man, despite the potential customer having cleared background checks. Now some are saying that in doing so, shop owner John Downs might have foiled plans for a mass shooting.
James Howard, 25, withdrew from his classes at Ohio University last Monday and allegedly assaulted an assistant hockey coach before driving to Downs' store. Downs, however, turned him away. "Just the look in his eye... there was something about him. I don't know. You really can't explain it. He was going to do something. He was going to do something," Downs told CBS News.
Howard returned to the gun store later that same day but Downs locked the door and had a customer call 911. The police later found Howard's car with a gun in the back seat at a Walmart; Howard was in the process of purchasing almost 50 rounds of 20-gauge shot gun shell ammunition.
Hocking County Sherriff Lanny North told CBS he believed Downs' gut reaction might have saved lives. "We don't know what he may have prevented," North said.
As it turned out Howard had a history of mental illness, but that is really beside the point.
Having a mental illness is really not a consistent indicator for determining if somebody is a threat or not. Even seemingly rational people can be upset enough by circumstances to suddenly want to murder somebody.
That's where the term "crime of passion" originated.
This gun shop owner made the right call, and recognized that the person trying to purchase the deadly weapon had no business purchasing a deadly weapon.
Which is why we really need to have those cooling off periods built into gun purchases.
If you want to buy a weapon for hunting or home security you can plan ahead and wait two weeks without it interrupting your plan to assassinate Bambi.
However if you want to start killing people, two weeks seems like a long enough period of time to let that feeling pass. Of course to be fair, if you are indeed somebody who REALLY has your heart set on that killing spree then you will probably be able to handle the two week waiting period.
Gotta love that 2nd Amendment.
OT, kinda: Fox News Host: "The Good Old Days Where We Could All Unite Against The Hatred For Obama"
ReplyDeleteSo much for "fair and balanced." Fox is a conservative news network united with other conservatives and republicans in their hatred for our President. Any questions? They built Trump and his followers. Now they are all reaping what they sowed.
Glad they at least recognize it's simple craven hatred, not justifiable disagreement.
DeleteForgot the link: Video at: http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/03/3 ... tri/209638
ReplyDeletehttp://mediamatters.org/video/2016/03/30/fox-host-donald-trump-has-created-internal-stri/209638
ReplyDeleteSmart gunshop owner. Thought with his head, not his gun (gun being a euphemism for the obvious).
ReplyDeleteBambi is seriously tasty. Just saying.
I am glad this story is getting some media attention....kudos for this man that wasn't thinking of his wallet over public safety. It makes you wonder how many times this scenario actually happens and the guns are sold. If we can't get any control over gun purchases, just following massive purchases of bullets would help. Chris Rock said it years ago...if bullets cost $5,000 you would really think hard about using them.
ReplyDeleteAs a weapons owner I have no problem with waiting periods, I also have no problem with and actually think that a mental health checkup before purchase should be required.
ReplyDeleteBut as for assassinating Bambi? What the fuck kind of remark is that? I guess it's much better to pretend the meat you buy in a grocery store aisle wasn't started to be butchered while still alive huh? I have no issue with hunting "Bambi" at all.
Please define "mental health checkup". Who would design, administer and interpret it? Will the results be kept on file only with gun dealers or be entered into a national database accessible by future employers, the DMV, insurance companies? The DSMV has over 200 diagnoses and multiple subcategories for each of them. Which diagnoses are red flags and should those people be forcibly drugged? And if one of those initially diagnosed is determined to be cured or in remission, what then? Think about it -- wanna get a good job as a shrink? The NRA is hiring.
DeleteThis gun bullshit has to stop. The irony here is a guy who makes a living selling guns had the conscience enough to lose money than risk someone killing who knows how many people.
ReplyDeleteMy SIL took her car in for service, and was on the bus going to work, a woman and a five year old took the seats next to her. The kid was playing with something making clicking and whirling noises under his coat, his mom kept sassing him to stop making noise, as they got up to leave, an unloaded pistol fell from under the kids coat. The whole bus was detained, and the cops scanned everyone on board for weapons. ONE gun, eight knives and one archer's arrow in a case. People are taking the bus, going about their lives, and an eighth of them were packing weapons. What in the hell is a five year old doing with a working gun? I don't care if it wasn't loaded THIS time.
Foiled plans for a mass murder.
ReplyDeleteBut opens himself to a lawsuit for filing to sell the gun to a legally qualified customer.
And there is good ol' Walmart selling the guy all the ammo he wants because, you know, capitalism. The NRA would be proud. Walmart: Enabling the mass murderers of the United States. "But they passed the background check and it's legal."
Most states have laws that gun dealers don't have to sell, if they don't want to...for any reason.
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