New York man sentenced to 25 years to life for fatally shooting woman who pulled into wrong driveway
New York man sentenced to 25 years to life for fatally shooting woman who pulled into wrong driveway
Having a gun for self defense fucks with your head. When my wife and I lived in a relatively rural area, I used to keep a shotgun under our bed for protection, but I eventually got rid of it. Never shot it a single time, but you'd better believe every time I cleaned it or moved it or just remembered I had it, I was imagining the horrible situation I might be forced to use it in. That shit low key fucked me up. Strange sound in the middle of the night? Better grab the gun.
I can't even begin to imagine carrying one on me, especially in public. I like to think I have a pretty level head, but some people are just waiting for you to look at them the wrong way so they finally have that moment. So frightened or psychotic or some combination of the two that their first instinct is to just start shooting. Hell, my wife's cousin-in-law got in a fucking shootout when he cut someone off in traffic.
Used to be very pro responsible gun ownership, but lately I'm thinking that level of responsibility is far too rare in people.
I am the same person as you except I actually carried around my gun. Being an stupid 21 year old with a gun sounds so stupid back then. I'm glad nobody died because of me.
It's the Jacky Chan effect.
When I was a kid this guy released a movie like every week. And every time we'd go to a Jacky Chan movie, I'd walk out of that theater thinking I was the king of fuck mountain, that somebody aught to just TRY and fuck with me.
I was not the only one. I don't know who it was, but I saw a comedian on comedy Central echo that exact same feeling, which seemed to resonate with the audience, so I know it's not unique. You feel powerful just being in the presence of such a thing.
There's a whole book series about the presence of powerful things being a corrupting presence. They're pretty good. Turned in to movies and everything.
I want some sort of driving test for guns. If you fail it, no guns for you. Have to retake it every 5-10 years and it's pretty easy to pass if you aren't a moron.
I've seen literally the dumbest shit on ranges. People flagging one another. Accidental discharges a few feet from one's foot, flagrantly breaking the range rules while the range instructor literally just finished explaining the rules to everyone there.
Christ, one time (in a rural state) someone didn't want to give up their CC to run a combat-style range. It was for safety, in case they ate shit on the course. They said they needed their CC in case there was a "terrorist attack". I looked around the bumfuck, empty desert we were in and wondered where the terrorists would even come from, lmao.
Hard agree on the gun safety test. Buying a gun, especially in the US, is way too easy and the number of people walking around strapped with absolutely no knowledge of gun safety, let alone armed self defense training, is terrifying.
My wife's family leans very hard into the guns, god and Trump right wing. My father in law set up a shooting range on his property, and it's a tradition for the cousins to get together and show off their arsenal. I keep a pistol there because it's a hellava range gun and the 22LR rounds are dirt cheap, but you can imagine the shit I catch in a family where 9mm is considered a "pussy round".
The amount of stupid shit I've seen on this range would boggle your mind, and I feel a deep responsibility to make sure nobody dies while I'm there. I've seen people walk in front of the range with earmuffs on while someone was getting ready to shoot. I had to stop my father in law from breaking his thumb trying to shoot a Glock with his thumb resting right on the slide. I watched my uncle-in-law (a Republican state senator, mind you) hand a loaded AR-15 to his ten year old son, then just walk away.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms_regulation_in_Switzerland
This seems to work for the Swiss. Heck they have a shooting range that fires over a freeway, and any incident involving firearms makes national if not global news.
I want some sort of driving test for guns. If you fail it, no guns for you. Have to retake it every 5-10 years and it's pretty easy to pass if you aren't a moron.
So basically a CCW permit for carrying. Problem though with "uneducated or undereducated people shouldn't have guns," while I agree in principle, is that it'll play out affecting poor and marginalized communities which are mostly POC more than say some white people who simply had more privileges growing up.
Again, in principle I agree, I just don't trust our legal system not to turn it into racism like they do with everything else.
I have an airsoft gun and it's only after I shot my wife in the ass that I considered the considerable weight of responsibility that such a weapon imposes on a man.
Now we have fascists and paranoid delusionals
Don't make the classic mistake of thinking everyone is limited to your abilities, there are other people in this world with their own thoughts and feelings that may not line up with yours and projecting your thoughts onto them is simply not a good basis for anything.
Judge Adam Michelini slammed Monahan in court, saying
NO HE DIDN'T. He SLAMMED Monahan by giving a calm milquetoast "what you did is awful and you should feel ashamed" statement? I wanna see a judge suplex a motherfucker before I see the word SLAM used in this context again
Reporter SLAMMED for overuse of the word SLAM in clickbait titles.
Probably not even written by a human though, really.
Why do judges have hammers if not to SLAM.
From the hammer to the slammer. Fear the judge.
In my experience, overly fearful people that get terrified over nothing are the primary audience for gun ownership. The mindset it takes to responsibly own and carry a gun is RARE.
I have 60+ year old relatives that suddenly all decided they wanted a gun, just because one of them bought one and won’t shut up about the confidence it gives her. She literally bought it just to walk to and from her car, which is parked directly in front of the business SHE owns, despite there being absolutely zero crime happening in her parking lot, and not bothering to set up security cameras. She literally bought a gun because she was afraid of a non-existent problem, and made no non-violent effort to correct the issue. I’m waiting for her to shoot some poor homeless person asking for change…
If owning a gun makes you confident, then you’re a scared little baby. Especially the guys with big trucks that drive like they’re trying to provoke people. I KNOW you have a gun. You bought the little dick pride set, so there’s no way you don’t have a gun. Quit trying to make excuses to pull it out. Pussies. FYI, I’m driving slow in front of you BECAUSE you’re driving like an ass hole and riding my bumper. Wave your gun at me again. I do not care.
In my experience most people that get a gun because they are "terrified" are just waiting for an excuse to finally kill another person
not bothering to set up security cameras
LOL
Yeah. I want a gun. Specifically I’d love to have a bolt action rifle I can use as a long range hole punch on some papers and cans. And I can definitely afford it. I don’t have it because I don’t have the free disposable income for it, a secure and sturdy gun safe, and the space for it.
If I thought for a second that I needed a pistol to walk around town I shouldn’t have one. The only times I even consider owning a gun for conflict is when the proud boys occupy a nearby city that I do stuff in regularly. They’re holding semi automatic rifles and it may be valuable for a counter fascist militia to march against them. But I’m not a good shot and that’s expensive and I can’t go to prison.
Guns are not therapy. They aren’t Xanax or Wellbutrin or buspirone or anything else that will actually fix irrational fear. They are a device that exists solely to put a hole in something far away, and often they’re designed for that thing to be a living animal or person.
Unfortunately, as you get older and closer to death, fear becomes a big factor in your life. This is the reaction you see from boomers. They can’t verbalize or even comprehend the fear of death, so it manifests in these bizarre behavioral patterns.
Source: Myself
Ugh
You hang out with the wrong crowd. I've belonged to several gun clubs over the years, of the many hundreds of people I've gotten to know, I've met probably a dozen who fit the profile you describe. IMO the difference is socialization: if guns are a right but at the same time you make guns a taboo and actively discourage organized events and interest shooting sports, the people who do not go into it with a healthy mind and diverse social life end up dwelling on whatever someone feeds them for clicks and ad revenue (Fox News and similar shit, not even partisan just scary news gets clicks and trains fear into people). Shooting is fun if you do it right.
With appropriate legislation and social norms, I’d agree with you.
So I don’t agree with you.
We really need responsible gun owners to form a bloc, and shun the gun nuts and work with the left for gun legislation.
Hanging out with the wrong crowd? It's my family. And about half of them aren't even Republicans. If anything, THEY hang out with the wrong crowd. And considering that you make guns such a large part of your identity, even making it a regular social interaction, I have a hard time believing that you'll look at it from anyone else's perspective. I especially doubt your ability to judge who should and shouldn't have a gun, because you literally go to clubs full of people and judge their ability to responsibly own a gun off of their social skills, which for many people is a facade they create to seem normal. I doubt that the guy who's excited to kill people is talking about it like that at club time. And my problem isn't just intent. My problem with my family, specifically, is that they're all a bunch of scared little bitches who are going to shoot at the first thing that scares their precious little baby asses. And I've met a shitload of fearful gun owners. I grew up in the South. Saying you've only met a dozen, means that you don't pay attention, you excuse more than you should, or you're just lying.
your guns aren't welcome here bro
I'm sure this guy did fear for his life. I am sure he did feel like the safest thing he could do in that moment for himself was to fire directly into the unknown car.
And that's why he doesn't belong in our society. He is not welcome to participate given that the above is true, and we need to remove him until the end of time to ensure that no such thing can ever happen again.
We just let anybody have a gun these days
I say that as a firearm owner and manufacturer. Anytime somebody asks me about my guns I explain to them how any 13-year-old could have done the same thing and how are gun laws are completely broken
You can be pro gun in pro regulation at the same time, fuck all these false dichotomies
He doesn't belong in general society. That kind of fear and response is reserved for the police.
We have places for people this. Florida and Texas.
"I feared for my life!"
Yeah I'll bet you did.
Fucking coward.
Funnily enough, I believe him.
This is what a steady diet of Fox News does to a motherfucker. This is exactly why Americans are so obsessed with guns, it's why they pour so much money into their military, and it's why 9/11 fundamentally reshaped their culture. They're terrified of everything and anything around them, all the God damn time. They have to be armed, they have to be the biggest military power on the planet, and God forbid anyone remind them that none of that does them any good. America is a culture entirely driven by fear.
Fear doesn't excuse what he did. You don't get to murder defenceless people just because you're afraid. He chose to own a lethal weapon and he chose to make using that weapon his first reaction to something that frightened him, instead taking even a few seconds to assess the situation. That's 100% on him, and deserves every single year of that sentence and more.
He feared that his best chance to get away with shooting someone was peacefully driving away.
Are you sarcastically implying there's no way someone would fear for their life in that situation, and then in the next sentence that the shooter is an easily frightened person who might've feared for their life?
If you have the paranoid delusion that a car turning around in your driveway is a threat, you are a serious risk to the public.
"I feared for my life!" Is a direct quote I've heard more than a couple times from big burly manly Texas men I've worked with. I'd bet $20 this guy used to talk the same trash. They'll claim that if they ever have to kill somebody, they'll say that to the cops / judge and get set free for having fired in self-defense. I keep my thoughts to myself.
Except with y'all!
It sounds to me that these guys want everybody to think they're super tough, but their pre-planned defense is to claim cowardice as a virtue, and they'll tell you so ahead of time. It baffles me that they fail to feel shame for it, but I believe them when they proudly declare what cowards they are.
And yeah, that dude was an angry coward who wanted to lash out at the first person who dared cross an imaginary line in his head. There's no reason to be afraid when a couple cars come down your driveway. But they've let themselves get whipped into a bloodthirsty frenzy over imaginary terrors. Fear is a central facet of their personalities.
The shooter sounds like a gigantic pussy
Wish I hadn't read this headline, it validates the anxiety I've had before about being confronted for turning around in a stranger's driveway.
Dude, people get unreasonably pissy about that. I don't know why. For instance, there are several houses around here with big "No U Turns In Driveway!" or similar signage to the same effect, which all have like 4 foot long driveways in locations where I can't imagine anyone would be looking for a spot to turn around anyway.
Motherfuckers must be paranoid. It's got to be exhausting, being so spooked all the time.
Devil's avocado: People used to turn around in my driveway all the time at my old house. If they stayed on the pavement, that'd be one thing. But half of them cut into the grass, and it turned it into and stayed a rutted, muddy mess.
Granted, I would never start taking pot shots at people turning, but I did put up a sign.
This is what happens when you have a libertarian rural populace. They believe that you entering their property is an invasion of their sanctity.
I have one of those signs along with beware of dogs. Living in the country there has been a ton of theft here, stopped once i got 2 dogs. People were pulling in grabbing stuff often the first few years here. Other issue is I have a narrow driveway and road, it a pain to back out and not go in the ditch or hit the mailbox. 500ft down the road is a turn around for the school bus, they can turn around there.
Side note, due to the unruly angry people that live in the country. Was taught as a kid to not use people's driveways for turning around, don't want to get shot.
There is some legitimate reasons for it, but not likely to ever be the case. Larger vehicles may damage their driveway if it’s older or not as well built. So it works for their sedan, but an f-150 or a EV could irreparably damage it. People wouldn’t ever think of that, it’s like driving on their grass basically. Who does that?
It’s their private property, they do have a right to protect from damage from people entering it, but not to death.
I hope this pussy lives in fear and doesn't have a comfortable hour for the rest of his useless existence
God damn conservatives and gun people are the biggest bunch of frail cunts on this planet
I own a firearm because I don't want to be a victim again. Until you know what its like to truly fear for your life, only then you'd understand.
Although, I'm not going to defend this guy who ruthlessly shot that poor girl, simply no excuse for that.
Just because you have a firearm doesn’t make you part of the “gun people” generalization.
Do you fantasize about getting to shoot your gun? Have you tied your identity to your arsenal of guns? Do you feel the need to open carry at the grocery store? Do you open fire on cars in your driveway?
No? Then you’re not in the “gun people” group being talked about. People who own guns are not the same as the “gun people”, or “gun nuts”/“ammosexuals”.
Not sure what your point is? Are you defending him for having a gun?
You have never genuinely had to fear for your life unless you were in the military. You’re building a narrative to justify killing people.
Didn't even make sure she was black before shooting. Amateur.
Yup early 20s white college girl. He's going away for life.
God I fucking hate this country.
Black woman: she probably deserved it
White woman: poor girl she had a future!
And he would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for the victim being white.
Fearing getting shot for pulling in a driveway seems an almost alien concept.
I've lived in the city, and way out on a dead-end country road and it's never once passed my mind anyone could get shot for that.
Being the last house... people would turn around here regularly.
No one ever thought about shooting them, like wtf.
Although, for the ones who zoomed by at speed oblivious that the road was being into fieldsand whatnot, we did take bets on how long they would take to come back on foot after sticking their car in a ditch or something.
Anyone who thinks about shooting someone coming into their driveway is a fucking sociopath.
In my area, you normally get handed a beer and a spot around the fire.
Kinda wish I had a beer and a camp fire just now.
The most ridiculous part about this is he stated the first shot was a warning shot in attempts to "start a dialog."
Then he told a cop he was asleep and didn't hear anything. After he told 911 he thought there were hunters illegally on his property. Not a smart guy.
You can't ask questions later if you don't shoot first!
Good.
Why insult apes like that?
The only harmful thing someone could do in your drive way is illegally park in it. This is when you call a tow truck.
What if people were being gay or black?!?! Next to his house?!?!!
Sorry, best I can do is a police on your neck with his knees.
Or be like that farmer and use your tractor.
A-1 Quality judge up there in NY.
Fatally shooting someone who accidentally drove into your driveway is just SO United States.
I had the fun of explaining the Castle Doctrine, Stand-Your-Ground laws and Trayvon Martin's murder to my 13-year-old today.
So at least I got to read some good news regarding someone who murdered in "self-defense."
It's a good thing she wasn't black. Well, as good as can be under the circumstances of still having been killed.
Good
Finally some good news today.
Love it. Subscribed
This is good. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Fucking good. Rot slowly, psycho.
Good. Fucking nut bastard.
I was waiting for some news on this and I'm so grateful to hear that he's actually gonna be punished.
Absolutely nothing can make up for what he did, but I pray to the cosmos that this deters other fools.
If he did this in Florida they would have thrown him a parade.
Consequences. Not enough for the damage inflicted, but at least consequences.
Yeah, it's stuff like this that's made me afraid to pull into driveways to turn around. I'm afraid to even pull up and stop next to a house in a neighborhood I don't know. There have been so many stories like this going around lately.
The judges quotes are great.
He’s got “I shoot people in my driveway” hair.
Here's hoping for life.
not from the us; what does '25 to life' mean?
did he get 25 or life?
Minimum 25 years actually in a prison +/- some minor adjustments for behavior and then he'll be eligible to request release on parole. But if parole isn't granted there's no upper limit on how long he can continue to spend in prison.
That pig (with18 previous brutality complaints, two convictions and a totat of ~$9M Minneapolis taxpayer money settlements) who murdered George Flloyd got 22 years.
Good.
Wow, the judge did the right thing. Great video.
Good. I hope he rots
He gon' lose that hair real fast
Now taxpayers get to pay for his food and housing for the rest of his life, neat!
Yeah, that's how prison works. Most people consider it a small price to pay to keep murderers off the streets.
Is the government able to take possession of his house/land and personal property, sell it and use that to help fund his incarceration? Is that a thing?
Before I get downvoted to oblivion, I'm not saying they SHOULD. I'm just asking if that's something they do. Maybe I should have worded it better.
Like good healthcare. Even good prison food is cheaper due to economies of scale.
We could feed way more homeless with some properly consolidated soup kitchens attached to gov bed-spaces.
And he gets to sit in a shitty box surrounded by other murderers for the short remainder of his pathetic life. I'm fine with that
Great news. Fuck this guy.
Certified redneck gun nut here: I also say fuck that guy.
I was literally thinking about this case when turning around in someone's driveway this week. Great precedent for conservatives who believe minorities are around every corner trying to take their homes.
I've known a lot of gun nuts and none of them were psychopathic, no matter their politics. This guy isn't a gun nut, he's a monster.
Where does one get this certification and does it require building things out of beer cans?