Suicide at Local Range

[damien]

This sucks. I wonder if there is any possible way to solve problems like this one. Also, the media seems to be working in concert on this gun suicide angle in recent weeks, hasn't it?

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=216855
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=220519
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=220920

A 25-year-old Cary man died today after shooting himself in the head at a gun store in Dundee Township, authorities said.

Police said they did not know if the shooting at the indoor range at G.A.T. Guns Inc. and Indoor Range, 14 N 915 Route 25, was accidental or intentional.

The man's identity was not released pending notification of next of kin, Kane County Sherrif's Lt. Pat Gengler said.

A Flight for Life helicopter from the Northern Illinois Medical Center was called to G.A.T. -- an acronym for Guns, Archery, Tackle -- just before 11 a.m.

The victim, however, was taken by ambulance to Sherman Hospital in Elgin, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. No one else was injured, authorities said.

"We don't know if it was accidental or suicide at this point," Gengler said. "We're confident it was self-inflicted ... and not a homicide."

But Gengler said a coroner's inquest would determine if the incident was a suicide or accidental. That inquest is expected to take several weeks, Gengler said.

Kane County Coroner Chuck West said his office would conduct an autopsy Friday morning. West said the victim's identity would not be released until the autopsy's conclusion.

Employees at the store, which remained open today, declined comment.

East Dundee Police and the East Dundee & Countryside Fire Protection District assisted the county in the investigation.

• Daily Herald staff writer Josh Stockinger contributed to this report

 

[CountGlockula]

...I wonder if there is any possible way to solve problems like this one...

There are ways to minimize:

• For first timers and non-members, only allow two or more people per lane. Your buddy won't allow you to shoot yourself.
• Make sure at least one of them are EXPERIENCED shooters. Not when their daddy loaded it for them, not even if they have prior military or last time they shot a gun was in 1988.
• If it's their first time at the range, have them show you how to safely handle a weapon before going in the range.
• Lastly, sign up members!

I worked at well organized range; never had a suicide or negligent incident on my watch during my time there.

 

[Deanimator]

There's a local range here that's had multiple suicides. That has apparently had little or no impact on their supervision, or more accurately NON-supervision of the range. The last time I shot there, a guy in the next stall swept me with his 9mm Ruger, then five minutes later three guys yelling at each other in what I perceived to be Serbo-Croatian, were wrestling over a loaded 12ga. pump.

They appear to be too busy smoking and joking with their lowlife buddies who drop by to actually pay attention to what's going on in the range area. I haven't shot there in years and won't unless I see proof that they've changed ownership.

 

[Justin]

*Holds hands to head, goes into psychic trance.*

- Boy, what a terrible tragedy. Depression is a terrible thing for anyone to suffer through.

- Geeze, what a jerk for killing himself at a shooting range.

- Cleanup on aisle 7!

- You shouldn't make disparaging comments about people who've suffered so much.

- If you're gonna kill yourself, could you at least do it in a way that won't be a big inconvenience for everyone around?

- Geeze. What a jerk. Why would they hurt their family like that?

That about cover it? Good.