Strange situation at church tonight. Irresponsible gun owner.

[rot13enatre]

Rule #1 All guns are always loaded. If there's a unsecured firearm around children, it needs to be secured and the guy needs to be straightened out.

After securing it, I guess the circumstances would determine who to escalate it to and who should be talking to him. Maybe the guy is paranoid, needs hospitalized or something. Or maybe the guy pissed off the wrong people, and is afraid for his life. Who knows, maybe it wasn't even real, and he was just a goth kid trying to impress 14 year olds. And wasn't there a game on college campus's where people went around shooting each other with dart guns? Of course, the simplest explanation is probably, it was real, loaded, and there wasn't a CCW, and it needs to be escalated to law enforcement.

All that's for after the fact. First off, it needs to be secured (see Rule #1). Irresponsible gun handling around anyone, especially children, is unacceptable.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

You know,in most states if you had pocketed the gun and he had simply reported you as stealing his gun,you will go to jail,whether he's legally carrying or not.When you explained to the police you were trying to teach him a lesson,their reply would most likely be something along the lines of"That's OUR job,now put your hands behind your back."Not to mention you could possibly lose your right to own and/or carry....

Line breaks are free here at THR.

Again, there is a principle called "lesser harm."

Just like you can break the speed limit in an emergency, or fire a gun within city limts to protect your life, you can grab up a gun that poses an immediate danger.

 

[MAURICE]

Lets not judge him by his taste in fashion, though. I have (at the moment) and shaved head. I am tatooed, I wear combat boots or 5.11 ATACs, and I like to wear my black hoody when it is cold outside.

Yeah, but do you attend church looking like that?

Sorry about the long delay in replying.
Nope. I do not. But apparently it is cool and acceptable for people my age (I'm 22) to do this. Christian hard rock bands are popping up like the whack a mole game at the arcade. Payable on Death (POD) is one of them. If the particular church allows this kind of dress, I say let them wear it. I am not here to judge anyone. Besides dressing up in a suit on Sundays does not change who you are in the Lords eyes, it just changes what you look like.

Best,
Maurice

 

[Molon Labe]

I would take the gun and call the police.

Um, why get the police involved?? I only call the police when it's a problem I can't handle on my own.

And solving this problem would have been very simple: grab the gun and keep it with you. When he gets back to his seat, hand the gun back to him, and politely but firmly inform him of his error.

And I agree with DerbyFAL that it shouldn't matter if he has a CCW license or not. A person does not need permission from the government to carry a gun.

 

[The_Antibubba]

I don't see any intent at harm

and his brother gets up to start headbanging

THAT is where the trouble lies. Not with the Goth look, or with bringing a gun into a house of worship, or even with not wanting to risk dropping it in front of everyone, but with leaving it with a person who didn't understand the responsibility that comes with keeping a weapon. Were laws broken? I can't say, but his carelessness did cross a safety line. He should be talked to, and maybe mentored. He'd probably be very happy (behind his stolid and melancholy pose, that is) to have someone take that much interest.


Or maybe we should blame the headbangers....

 

[Janitor]

Or maybe we should blame the headbangers....

It is NOT the fault of the headbangers.

Blame the music. If all these kids were just listening to the Carpenters and Pat Boon, they'd be wearing white shoes and walking old ladies across the street.

-

 

[Shipwreck]

Unattended gun + unattended child = death. I would take the gun and call the police.

I don't care what he looks like. My simple concern is, he drew a gun in church. He passed it to a "non-owner", or did he? He left in unattended. The other issues (CCW, ownership, etc.) are of concern to the police. My single concern would be to remove the potential danger.

Doc2005

I agree w/ U. I would do the same.