Man Mistakes Daughter For Car Thief, Shoots + Kills Her

[Jokerman]

Ex-Springbok charged with murder

Tuesday, May 25, 2004 Posted: 0329 GMT (1129 HKT)

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) -- A former member of South Africa's Springbok rugby team has been charged with murder after mistaking his daughter for a car thief and shooting her in the family's driveway.

Police said Monday that Rudi Visagie and his wife woke up early on Sunday to hear what they thought was an intruder stealing their daughter's car from their home near Nelspruit in South Africa's northern Mpumalanga province.

"He got up and took his 7.65 mm pistol and shot through the window from their bedroom," Mpumulanga police spokesman Mtsholi Bhembhe told Reuters.

Maryle Visage, 19, was shot in the neck and died later in hospital.

Her father, who represented South Africa in five international rugby tests, was expected to appear in court.

The government has introduced strict gun control laws in South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the world.

About 2,000 murders are committed in the country each year.
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What does the last sentence have to do with this incident? Uhh...nothing. The man obviously broke all kinds of gun and shooting safety rules. No ones life was being threatened to justify shooting and he didn't identify his target, for starters.

 

[El Tejon]

This would never happen in Tejas!

It's his property and its theft is an attack on his life! I just bought a gun and I want to use it. You can't tell me that I can't go around shooting willy nilly! It's not fair [stomping elf boots].

Now we're going to hear all this rubbish about how deadly force in defense of mere property is immoral, about how the sacred Four Rules always apply (I don't need Four Rules, I got common sense), and about "Problem #2" which does not exist.

[do you think this article will be posted on TFL? ]

 

[Standing Wolf]

What a shame the daughter had to pay the price of the father's stupidity!

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Damn.

 

[Thumper]

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY

RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

There's no cure for stupidity. Oh well.

 

[gunsmith]

thats south africa for ya

 

[SAG0282]

Tragic.

How could someone possibly be so stupid?!?! I just wish instead that his incredible stupidity could have manifested itself in a exclusively personal way, like looking down into the barrel and pulling the trigger to see the bullet come out of the barrel instead of killing his hapless daughter.

 

[P95Carry]

That is a tragedy near beyond comprehension ....... I'd not be surprised if he does wish he HAD shot himself.

Seems like a verbal challenge alone might just have safely pre-empted this ghastly mistake.

 

[RVSinOK]

There goes some more ammo for the antis........

 

[Viking6]

Rule Five: Don't shoot your own children...................stoopid doesn't come close!!

 

[mete]

There was a case in this country where a man shot and killed his daughter. The daughter had done something very stupid even with knowing that the father had a gun and would use it against criminals. He took her as a criminal breaking into the house and fired. He said later that though he deeply regreted the loss of his daughter under the same circumstances he would do it again.