Posted: 5/2/2010 6:35:14 AM EDT
| It happened yesterday. A copycat. |
|
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/92599124.html
Second suicide in a week occurs at Badger Guns By John Diedrich of the Journal Sentinel Posted: May 1, 2010 A man committed suicide on the shooting range at Badger Guns on Saturday - the second such incident at the West Milwaukee store in less than a week. In both instances, the victims shot themselves with firearms they rented from Badger Guns, police said. Two people killed themselves in a similar manner with rented guns at a range in Racine County in the past year. On Saturday, police were called to Badger Guns at 4:30 p.m. and found a 50-year-old man dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said West Milwaukee police Lt. Robert Bennett. One other person was on the range but was not injured. The shooting was captured on store video, he said. Police identified the victim as Bruce P. Bethke of Oak Creek. On Tuesday, Curtis M. Brown shot himself in the head with a gun on Badger Guns' shooting range, according to a report from the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office. Brown's mother told investigators that he had attempted to commit suicide a week earlier by overdosing on pills, the report says. Bennett said the last suicide he recalled at Badger Guns or its predecessor, Badger Outdoors, was 12 years ago. Bennett said the range at Badger Guns was closed to replace carpeting from Tuesday until it reopened late Friday. Now, the range will be closed again, he said. A message on the phone at Badger Guns on Saturday said the store was closed. Two people committed suicide on the range at Shooters Sport Center in Caledonia in the past 14 months - the most recently on March 27. Both men killed themselves with guns rented from the store, according to reports from the Racine County medical examiner's office. Wisconsin is not the only place where such suicides have occurred. Last year in Florida, two people killed themselves within a month at a range with guns rented from a Seminole County gun store, according to news reports. Over two years in the mid-1990s, seven people committed suicide on ranges with rented guns in California. |
|
My understanding is that some other states do you rent guns to individual people to prevent such incidents. Apparently people don't want to off themselves with one of their friends at their side. Maybe that is something to look into for these businesses as a way to reduce the chances of suicides and still be able to rent out guns.
What if I come in alone, WITH MY OWN GUN, and want to try out a gun in the rental case for future purchase? I wonder if they allow that in other states, obviously I have shown that I have access to a firearm either way, so there would be no harm in renting one to me... Another case of stupid people that is going to make normal people jump thru hoops, if something like this does go into effect. |
|
Quoted: My understanding is that some other states do you rent guns to individual people to prevent such incidents. Apparently people don't want to off themselves with one of their friends at their side. Maybe that is something to look into for these businesses as a way to reduce the chances of suicides and still be able to rent out guns. What if I come in alone, WITH MY OWN GUN, and want to try out a gun in the rental case for future purchase? I wonder if they allow that in other states, obviously I have shown that I have access to a firearm either way, so there would be no harm in renting one to me... Another case of stupid people that is going to make normal people jump thru hoops, if something like this does go into effect. Yet another example of the Government having to nose in where they don't belong. It is terrible when someone does this but we sure as hell don't need some new regulations because of it. If someone wants to off themselves, that is their business. The fact they choose to do it with/on someone's private property = the gun range should be able to sue and recover costs from the estate, period. So should the other user who had to witness it. I would be damn pissed if I had to clean someone's brain matter and skull fragments off my gun case. Of course, the suicide at the other gun ranges in WI received 1/100th the length of story from the media. I may not be a Badger sympathizer but like 'em or hate 'em, they are a marked target and treated unfairly. |
|
Quoted:
Selfish a-holes. Now it's somebody else's problem too. My sentiments exactly. I have no compassion for some selfish asshat who thinks their life is so terrible to go and off themselves. I just causes more issues for the family and loved ones. And on top of that, to do it at a private business or in a public setting. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
My understanding is that some other states do you rent guns to individual people to prevent such incidents. Apparently people don't want to off themselves with one of their friends at their side. Maybe that is something to look into for these businesses as a way to reduce the chances of suicides and still be able to rent out guns. What if I come in alone, WITH MY OWN GUN, and want to try out a gun in the rental case for future purchase? I wonder if they allow that in other states, obviously I have shown that I have access to a firearm either way, so there would be no harm in renting one to me... Another case of stupid people that is going to make normal people jump thru hoops, if something like this does go into effect. Yet another example of the Government having to nose in where they don't belong. It is terrible when someone does this but we sure as hell don't need some new regulations because of it. If someone wants to off themselves, that is their business. The fact they choose to do it with/on someone's private property = the gun range should be able to sue and recover costs from the estate, period. So should the other user who had to witness it. I would be damn pissed if I had to clean someone's brain matter and skull fragments off my gun case. Of course, the suicide at the other gun ranges in WI received 1/100th the length of story from the media. I may not be a Badger sympathizer but like 'em or hate 'em, they are a marked target and treated unfairly. I couldn't agree more. |
|
Turns out the 1st guy was one of my best friends as a child.
Curtis M. Brown and I got into a lot of trouble as prepubescent boys. I haven't seen him for 10 years. I wonder what pushed him to this. I think he would have felt horrible about the 2nd guy who copycatted him. I have deep sympathy to his mother and 2 sisters. Now his pain is theirs. They are in my thoughts. 
|
