Darwin gets another one!

[Mr White]

Stupidity again rears its ugly head... and shoots himself in it.

Link to Story

He didn't know the gun was loaded, coroner says
Monday, March 24, 2008
By Milan Simonich, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A 30-year-old man killed himself last night with a pistol that he presumed was unloaded, the Indiana County coroner said today.

Brian Marshall Morgan put a .22-caliber handgun to his head and the gun discharged, Coroner Michael A. Baker said. He classified Mr. Morgan's death as an accident.

A friend of Mr. Morgan's was with him when the shooting occurred. This witness, who was not identified by investigators, said Mr. Morgan thought the handgun was empty.

Mr. Baker said he found no evidence of a struggle at the shooting scene, a farm outside Grant, Indiana County. But the coroner said alcohol probably was a factor. Whiskey and beer cans were found at the site, he said.

Funeral arrangements were pending for Mr. Morgan, who was from Rochester Mills, Indiana County.

 

[highfive]

stupidity that become sadness for a family....

 

[Deer Hunter]

Yay Darwin! Has this guy produced any fledglings yet?

 

[WayneConrad]

"Yay Darwin?" Shame on you!

Always treat the firearm as loaded.

Don't mix firearms and alcohol.

Don't revel in anyone's death.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Yeah ok, maybe not too high road, but putting a gun to your head and pulling the trigger?

It's either a day for Darwin, or a suicide being covered up by the media.

 

[ken grant]

Put a gun to your head and pull the trigger is an ACCIDENT????

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Wayne your are right!

But I could not disagree more with the coroner. This was no accident!

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Accidental, in the sense of doing something monumentally stupid, like playing Russian Roulette or something. Or suicide.

 

[RNB65]

As the old saying goes, you can't fix stupid. But you can certainly kill it. Dimwit...
-

 

[WayneConrad]

A suicide being covered up--I didnt' think of that. Y'all are probably right.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Always treat the firearm as loaded.

How do you do that?

Do you not touch it?

Do you throw it in the trash can?

Do you wear body armor? :banghead:

 

[Mark whiz]

I really wouldn't take this report at face value. I've had to deal with a similiar situation a couple years ago in the ajoining County. The "Investigators" are nothing but that. They tend to assume suicide unless there are several witnesses reporting otherwise and an "accident" if they know anyone else involved. Hell, the Coroners don't even have to have a Forensic degree or any training - it's been an elected office via the buddy-network. They ARE changing the Coroner requirements now, but investigations haven't improved yet.

 

[ServiceSoon]

I guess a 22 can git r done.

 

[CountGlockula]

 

[jnyork]

How do you treat every gun as loaded?

1. Keep the muzzle pointed in the safest possible direction.

2. Keep you finger out of the trigger guard until your sights are on the target.

3. Never trust a safety.

4. Never assume it is not loaded.

 

[Crunker1337]

Poor guy. Stupid? Incredibly so. But unfortunate nonetheless.

 

[arflattop]

Why would you EVER put a firearm to your head? Abject stupidity.

 

[elrod]

Insurance companies usually won't pay off for suicides. Coroner was doing the family a favor, IMHO (albeit a bit dishonest).

 

[BryanP]

Insurance companies usually won't pay off for suicides.

In many states it depends on how long you've had the policy and the circumstances of the suicide.

 

[TCB in TN]

How do you do that?

Do you not touch it?

Do you throw it in the trash can?

Do you wear body armor?

As was mentioned above, follow the safety rules, now I have seen several different versions of them, but in none did I see anyone mention pointing a gun at yourself and pulling the trigger. Either stupidity at its worst or a suicide attempt!

 

[10-Ring]

OOOPs Blame the gun maker, the bullet manufacturer or his kindergarten teacher?

 

[tjdUSCG]

Brian Marshall Morgan put a .22-caliber handgun to his head and the gun discharged

Come on, guys, he wasn't stupid. The gun discharged on its own. You know, 'cuz they're bad like that.

 

[plexreticle]

It's the unload guns that seem to cause the most accidents. That's why i keep mine all loaded and treat them as such.

 

[Sato Ord]

"Insurance companies usually won't pay off for suicides. Coroner was doing the family a favor, IMHO (albeit a bit dishonest)."

Happens more often than most people think, especially in rural areas where the local "coroner" is likely to also be the local physician, and therefore sympathetic to his living patients; namely the family of the deceased.

Without knowing all of the particulars, such as could this man have recently been diagnosed as terminally ill? Could he have suffered from long standing depression? Just how much alcohol was involved?

Without the answers to those questions, and a bunch of other questions also, we'll never know if it was a stupid accident, or a deliberate suicide. Unfortunately the gun control nuts will use it to further their own agenda if, or more likely when, they get ahold of it.

 

[willbrink]

Note the lingo used:

"Brian Marshall Morgan put a .22-caliber handgun to his head and the gun discharged,"

Per usual when people ignorant of guns write about them, the above allows the non educated to get the impression guns magically just go off on their own. The wording adds to more miss information about guns. Should read:

"Brian Marshall Morgan put a .22-caliber handgun to his head, and pulled the trigger, discharging the gun."

Might seem very "no duh" to us, but the difference is important albeit subtle.