GUNS IN THE NEWS--October 16, 2003

As CO Liberal sez:
1 - Feel free to add any CURRENT stories to this thread by replying to this message.
2 - Both pro-gun and anti-gun stories are welcome in this thread, as well as gun-related editorials.
3 - Do not change story titles. In other words, if the Oskosh Gazette's web site runs a story titled "Two Killed in Holdup", the title of your message should read "Two Killed in Holdup". Don't change it to "Gun Owner Kills Two People", or anything else that changes the meaning of the story.
4 - In order to be considered current, stories should have been originally posted to the 'Net within the past 24 hours, or provide follow-up to a story that was previously posted on the J/PS board.
5 - Comment on a story by replying to that story.

"A fatal shooting on Maclay Street in Harrisburg Wednesday night has taken the life of an 18-year-old.
Police say people in two cars were shooting at each other and they are looking for 19-year-old Tyree Tynes, who is believed to be the driver of one of the cars. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031016/lo_wgal/1833051

"COLD SPRING, Minn. — They wake up after another night of fitful sleep, and Aaron isn't there anymore.

That smile that always brightened the Rollins family home is gone.
There's no 17-year-old boy showing the clothes he planned to wear to school that day and asking, "Mom, does this match?" There's no Aaron tromping through the house with his friends and talking excitedly about their next outdoor adventure.
Three weeks have passed since Aaron Rollins' young life came to a senseless, tragic end on what should have been a routine school day. On Wednesday, his parents spoke publicly for the first time about their son, one of two students killed in the Sept. 24 shooting at Rocori High School in Cold Spring.
"I'm not sure that it's really hit home yet that he's gone and he's not going to come back," said Tom Rollins, his father. "It's almost like he's been on a hunting or fishing trip with his buddies and he'll be coming through the door any time."
Tom and Sherry Rollins thanked the community that has showered them with letters, flowers, cards, hugs, kind words and sympathy. They also offered their condolences to the family of Seth Bartell, 14, the other student killed in the shooting."

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/7023645.htm

It will be interesting to see how this story develops. - Wayne

* * * * *

County inmate with gun also had cash, cell phone

By CHRISTINA HALL
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Prentiss Williams was equipped more than your average inmate the night before he was scheduled to appear in court again on charges in three murders.

The 24-year-old had a loaded handgun, $245 in cash, and a cell phone, albeit a dead one.

Lucas County jail officials were still searching yesterday for answers on how and why Williams got the items - especially the 9mm semiautomatic gun he twice fired at a corrections officer after he went to a maintenance closet to empty a mop bucket Tuesday night.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is running an emergency track on the gun to trace its history and origin. County sheriff’s investigators ran it through several databases, but had no hits, Lt. Don Atkinson said.

<more>

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031016/NEWS03/110160068

that criminals who want guns will find a way to get one...

the gun industry didn't mail the gun to him in prison...

do you think he made it himself out of spoons?

It really should be "criminal gun misuse" not guns in the news.

Oh, but it was an accident.... - Wayne

* * * * *

Police say boyfriend emptied gun, reloaded during fatal rampage

Two children were shot to death, and a teenager and his mother were injured.

By Pedro Ruz Gutierrez and Henry Pierson Curtis
Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 16 2003

The 55-year-old dishwasher arrested on charges of fatally shooting two children and wounding their mother and another sibling used a .38-caliber revolver that he reloaded at least twice during the rampage, authorities said Wednesday.

Wilson Cherenfant, who was ordered held without bail at his initial appearance Wednesday at the Orange County Jail, told investigators he shot Denise LaPaix, 35, his girlfriend of 11 years, and three of her four kids because she pulled a knife on him. But detectives doubt that story because he fired more than a dozen bullets.

"I can tell you it was more than a dozen times," said Detective Dave Clarke of the Orange County sheriff's homicide unit. "We certainly didn't find a knife, and I think the chance of him lying about this is pretty good."

An arrest affidavit by Clarke said Cherenfant shot LaPaix "out of anger." Sheriff's officials said Cherenfant, who is married, shot LaPaix because he thought she was seeing another man. Sean LaPaix, 12, and Stephanie LaPaix, 11, died shortly after Cherenfant began shooting about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the LaPaixes' unit at Omega Apartments near Forest City Road.

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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/orl-locshooting16101603oct16,0,2306550.story?coll=sfla-news-florida

Two sides to every story - Wayne

* * * * *

Gun law praised, doubted

By Rob Young/Appeal-Democrat

Semiautomatic handgun safety features recently signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis "could prevent 24 percent of unintentional shootings," according to Berkeley's Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

To Robert Boehm of Yuba City's Shooter's Paradise gun store, it's just one more law written by "legislators trying to make themselves look good."

Gun safety depends on the person using the gun, not new safety features, Boehm said.

"You can't legislate intelligence," Boehm said.

Under the new law, all new semiautomatic handguns sold in California in 2006 must have one of two features: an indicator that tells the user when there's a round in the gun's chamber or a disconnect device that does not allow a gun without a magazine to be fired.

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http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/2003/10/16/news/local_news/news3.txt

companies are already producing their pistols with the loaded chamber indicator. The new Springfield XD-9 and XD-40 have them. I'm not really for or against this being as like the man said, "You can't legislate intelligence". I always treat every gun I come in contact with as if it were loaded as should everyone. I believe that teaching gun safety in public schools would eliminate a lot of accidents. Maybe not all but this would be a great way to cut down on some of the accidents without imposing any Constitutional restrictions on a law-abiding adult to own a gun. The magazine disconnect is very easy to disable and I actually know of some gunsmiths that will do it. It also smoothes out the pull of the trigger once it is done. I wonder if the new law states whether it will be illegal to disable these safety features after the gun is sold?

The question I have is why did the sherriff padlock the place in August? - Wayne

* * * * *

Landmark gun store closing

HILLSBOROUGH -- Hunters and sportsmen from around the area gathered Wednesday at the Colonial Gun Shop for one of the last times. A three-day clearance sale and a final Saturday auction will signal the end of the longtime Hillsborough store.

The store was padlocked by a sheriff's deputy in August and has been closed until recently.

The remaining items in the store will be sold for 40 percent off Thursday and 50 percent off Friday.

<more>

http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-403002.html

Do the crime, do the time. - Wayne

* * * * *

Boy who used gun at school to scare bullies receives one-year discharge

SYRACUSE -- An 11-year-old boy arrested for bringing an unloaded revolver to his elementary school in June to scare a group of students who were bullying him was placed on conditional discharge Wednesday for one year.

"They know he's a good boy," law guardian Lucia Whisenand said after the decision was reached in Onondaga County Family Court. "They were very distressed that he ended up here in the first instance. This was a foolish thing for a kid to do."

The boy, who was 10 at the time of the infraction, has to stay out of trouble at home and in school, court officials ruled.

The boy, whose name was withheld because of his age, originally was charged in Family Court with a misdemeanor count of criminal possession of a weapon.

The boy, a student at Huntington Elementary School, told police his mother kept the gun hidden in her linen closet and that he was not supposed to know where it was. He said he wanted to threaten some other youngsters who had teased and bullied him on a school bus.

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http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20031016/localnews/460228.html

"Police are investigating two drive-by shootings in the area in less than 24 hours.
The most recent shooting took place Wednesday afternoon off Old Dixie Highway in Riviera Beach, where a man was shot several times. He was hospitalized in critical condition, officials said. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031016/lo_wpbf/1833796

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Guitarist Bruce Kulick (news), a former member of the glam rock band KISS, was shot in the leg when a man opened fire outside a nightclub early Thursday, police said.
A 21-year-old man got into an argument inside the Rainbow Bar & Grill at about 1:20 a.m., grabbed a gun from his car and shot from Sunset Boulevard into a crowd at the club's patio area, injuring Kulick and one other man, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Don Mueller.
Several people nearby tackled the suspect in the middle of the street and held him down until deputies arrived, Mueller said, describing their actions as "extremely brave." A 9 millimeter handgun was recovered at the scene.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031016/ap_en_mu/guitarist_shot_1

"Scott Schanowski, 26, was killed Saturday on his way to depositing restaurant money at the Bank One at 27th and Loomis. Two weeks earlier, another employee of the same Little Caesar's restaurant was mugged, but unharmed outside the same bank.
Police said that a restaurant employee had told two friends, 19-year-old Tonia Santiago and 18-year-old Yamiris Malave when and how restaurant deposits were made.
Those friends and another man are now charged with robbery. Alexander Velazaquez-Perez, 33, and Waldemar Perez, 22, are charged with murder. They said they had money problems and did not intend to shoot and kill Schanowski. The employee who police said told her friends too much is not being charged with a crime, but the district attorney told 12 News, she's been fired. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031016/lo_wisn/1833687