American Gun Ownership Highest In 18 Years

[MadBurgerMaker]

I guess if you're an asshole, you can go hunting with it, but what else is there?

I don't think you'd be an asshole if you're trying to get the most accurate, humane kill possible.

Anyway I don't see this replacing trained snipers. It looks like it automates just a couple aspects of shooting.

Might as well just get your meat at the supermarket if you're otherwise going to be using a computer to pop animals from 1000m away.

[Ed Anger]

I was amused by Dr. McCoy.

[katmai]

I was amused by Dr. McCoy.

He's not a comedian, he's a doctor dammit!

[11B4V]

 
Town Sued for Requiring Residents to Own Guns

(Newser) – The tiny town of Nelson, Georgia, is facing a court battle after passing a law that requires all households to own a gun and ammunition. The DC-based Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence had filed a federal lawsuit against the town on the grounds that the law, which was passed in April, is unconstitutional, and violates the 1st and 14th Amendments, reports CNN. "Forcing residents to buy guns they do not want or need won't make the City of Nelson or its people any safer, and only serves to increase gun sales and gun industry profits," said a spokesman in a statement.

But town leaders say the law is largely symbolic, is not actually being enforced, and anyone who opposes gun ownership on moral or religious grounds can opt out, reports Fox News. Advocates of the law say it's more of a statement about the lax police protection offered to the 1,300-resident town, and a protest against the push toward stricter gun control at a federal level.

[CountDeMoney]

Ugh.

Hofstra Student in Home Invasion Was Killed by Police Gunshot: Officials

The 21-year-old Hofstra student who was killed during a Long Island home invasion was shot dead by a police officer as the gunman had her in a headlock and was trying to drag her out of the house, officials said Saturday.

Nassau County Police said at a news conference Andrea Rebello was killed by police, not by the armed gunman who was trying to rob the off-campus house where she was living with her twin sister, Jessica, and several others.

Rebello, a Hofstra junior studying public relations, and suspect Dalton Smith, 30, were both shot and killed as he was trying to back away from police with a gun to her head, police said.

An officer fired eight rounds, seven of which hit the suspect and one that hit Rebello in the head, police said.

Police said the officer that fired the fatal shots is a former NYPD cop who has been with the Nassau department for 12 years.

Police said Smith had gotten into the house through a front door that was left open. He forced three women and a man who lived in the home upstairs at gunpoint to get money and jewelry.

They did not have a lot of money at the home, and Smith told one of the women to go withdraw money from the bank, threatening that he would kill one of her friends if she didn't return in eight minutes, according to police.

She called 911 as she drove to the bank and did not return to the home.

Police responded shortly after the 911 call. When they arrived, Smith told one of the hostages, the twin sister of the woman who was later shot, to go downstairs and tell police everything was OK. When she opened the door, she ran out and told officers there was a man with a gun.

Police said two officers then entered the house and went up a narrow staircase. At that point, one of the officers saw Smith with Rebello in a headlock, and Smith pointed a gun at the officer.

The officer then fired the fatal shots, police said.

Smith was released on parole in February after serving time for first-degree robbery and has a lengthy criminal record that includes assault, police said. A warrant for his arrest was issued last month for parole violation.

Police identified the gunman through fingerprint analysis.

Andrea Rebello and her sister were 2010 graduates of Sleepy Hollow High School, according to principal Carol Conklin-Spillane.

"They were smart happy beautiful young women," Conklin-Spillane said. "I speak about them together because they were very much a matched pair. They were best friends by choice."

[Tonitrus]

That has to be the worst call a cop would have to make...the perp has a hostage, but is pointing the gun at you.

[garbon]

Is that a typical number of rounds to shoot off?

[CountDeMoney]

Then you don't take the shot.

[11B4V]

Rebello, a Hofstra junior studying public relations, and suspect Dalton Smith, 30, were both shot and killed as he was trying to back away from police with a gun to her head, police said.

Police said two officers then entered the house and went up a narrow staircase. At that point, one of the officers saw Smith with Rebello in a headlock, and Smith pointed a gun at the officer.

Hmmm

[Caliga]

That has to be the worst call a cop would have to make...the perp has a hostage, but is pointing the gun at you.

I think I remember this happening in one of the Police Quest games....

[CountDeMoney]

Police said the officer that fired the fatal shots is a former NYPD cop who has been with the Nassau department for 12 years.

Probably hasn't fired a shot in years.  Service holster probably has dust bunnies in it.  It was a bad call.

[Caliga]

Probably hasn't fired a shot in years. 

Obviously you would know better than me but I thought cops had to practice?

[DGuller]

Seriously, what is the cop supposed to do if the perp is pointing the gun at him?  I assume the cop wasn't wearing a head-to-toe armor with bullet-proof goggles.  Getting himself killed wouldn't make the situation any better for the hostage.  Besides, he was 87.5% accurate in such a difficult situation, which is otherwise pretty impressive.

[CountDeMoney]

Probably hasn't fired a shot in years. 

Obviously you would know better than me but I thought cops had to practice?

Practice is practice.  I've known cops that have won state pistol championships, but in a real-life situation I wouldn't trust them beyond dropping their gun and kicking it to The Bad Guy by accident.

[DGuller]

Again, the cop hit the target 7/8 times, while it was behind the human shield.  Yeah, that one miss was extremely tragic, but that performance is hardly worse than usual.  NYPD cops would fire off two clips, hit the target twice, hit the human shield three times, and then twice more when she's on the ground.