Sad but very avoidable!

[gotgunz]

Man arrested in fatal accidental shooting
Article Launched: 01/11/2008 10 21 28 AM PST

A Fairfield man was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter Thursday night after accidentally shooting a female friend.

According to police, Evan Lowe, 26, has recently purchased a bolt-action rifle and had gone shooting earlier in the day on Thursday. He had plans to have dinner with the victim and showed her the rifle when she arrived at his home in the 1200 block of Broadway.

Police said that when the victim handed the gun back to Lowe, he apparently grabbed it incorrectly, discharging the weapon and striking the woman in the head.

When officers arrived, they found Lowe with blood on his clothing and found the 24-year-old victim, Lisa Pastor, of Fairfield, lying in the doorway with a fatal wound to the head.

Lowe's 6-year-old daughter was in the residence at the time however, was in a back bedroom, and unharmed. She was placed in protective custody.

Lowe was booked into the Solano County Jail on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.
Link: http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_7944167

Even an accidental shooting which the police concur is such will still result in you being arrested.

[odysseus]

Even an accidental shooting which the police concur is such will still result in you being arrested.

Not unusual. They can only immediately ascertain that situation and are holding him under this charge until review and an investigation. Someone being shot in the head is a matter to which all cautions are held.

Terrible story. So sad.

[supersonic]

IMHO, ANYONE that would keep a bolt-action rifle loaded w/ a live one in the chamber and then (without checking status before handing over for a friend to admire) "grabbing" it back "wrong" or "incorrectly"........................all of this adds up to 4 things. 1) thank God the child (or a neighbor 1/2 mi. away) wasn't maimed or killed 2) God help that poor girl's family in this tragic time of unbearable reality 3) guy had NO business owning a firearm in the first place. AND, 4) guy had NO business owning a firearm in the first place. Unbelievably sad..........

[MrTuffPaws]

This is why we say the gun is always loaded. Sad.

[ArmedWolf]

always always CHECK! Even my own guns I know I unload them and are empty but anytime I take one out I CHECK when I hand it to another I CHECK, then someone hands me a gun I CHECK! one of the most important parts of friggen gun safety, along next to KEEP THE DAMN FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER.

While the kid is unharmed and was in a back room I hope she didn't see anything after what had happened.

[Biff...]

That poor little girl is going to sufer so badly, very very sad. I don't frgin understand, why do stupid a** people keep buying weapons if they don't get the basic safety rules-THE GUN IS ALWAYS LOADED-KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER. Incidents like these are strong reminder to all of us that we must stay vigilant and adhere to the safety rules as they were written in stone.

[mecam]

I don't buy Lowe's accidental story especially with a rifle to the head.

[6079Winston]

Until the investigation is completed it is wrong to say if it was an accident or not. Some "accidents" are actually murders or suicides covered up. It smells suspicious, but it could just be an accumulation of mistakes and bad luck.

[jandmtv]

sad story indeed

[BillCA]

Exactly the reason you ALWAYS open the action before handing a firearm to another person. Both people can see that the gun is empty (or not!).

Rule #1 Never point the muzzle at anything you don't want destroyed.

Rule #2 Keep your booger hook off the bang-switch!


I don't buy Lowe's accidental story especially with a rifle to the head.

I dunno, I think it's fairly easy to hand a rifle back to some klutz and end up with said klutz sweeping your head with the muzzle. It might actually be more suspicious if she was hit in the torso or pelvis.


guy had NO business owning a firearm in the first place

I think that's an unfair knee-jerk reaction. Everyone was a "newbie" at some time and some have the benefit of learning safety rules from family, their elders or Mil-service. Others become adults with no exposure to guns when they buy one, thinking it's going to be like buying an iPod -- they'll read the manual's "overview" and be good to go. But this is another discussion because it gets into societial expectations and issues.

[Boomer1961]

Most likely result of the anti-constitutional gun grabbers.....

Think about it for a minute.

This fellow just bought this rifle (I hope it was not a C&R from a fellow CalGun member) and he was probably raised in an anti-constitutional gun grabbing household and has had zero training in the safe us of firearms.

In the meantime he is raised by the babysitter (television) as gungrabbers think its better for women to work than raise children so they can have more money for vacations to Egypt, and this poor fellow as a boy being raised by TV learns everything he knows about guns from the extremely violent TV shows. No Father teaching him about guns, no friends teaching him about guns.

Now one day he decides to buy a rifle, he shoots it a few times, he is proud of his masculinity now that he owns a gun like he saw on his idle, his former baby sitter, the TV. Before he lays down with his lady he struts his stuff, flexes his muscle, shows off the gun that now makes him a man, all to make his lady ready to receive him.

Instead he blows her brain out because no one taught him differently. It was not like that on TV.

Next thing there is a law that everyone needs to be taught/trained/tested on firearms. Not a bad idea. Just that it should come from your father, grandfather, friends. Unfortunately the politicians think differently and want you to pay for a $5,000 class and to have $5,000,000 insurance policy.

They talk about the downward cycle of poverty but we have the downward cycle of firearms ownership. In the meantime another person is killed. This is the plan of the anti-gunners and they see those killed in the interim as martyrs.

[supersonic]

This is why we say the gun is always loaded. Sad.

EXACTLY. My 14-yr. old has even known that since he could UNDERSTAND s**t!!!!!!!!!!!! My God. I'll put money on the extreme probability that this guy has had more than one "close call" (read:NEGLIGENCE) in the past, and I'll also bet that at least ONCE (probably more) he wasn't even aware of it. I don't mean to sound callous, but (just like with similar things in life) it came back and bit him viscously in the backside. Just hope some good can come of it, like more public awareness of firearms safety and the consequences of when it is not religiously adhered to by gun owners. My 4 pennies.;)

[Solidmch]

I don't buy Lowe's accidental story especially with a rifle to the head.

+1 Im with you on that. Somthing smells

[supersonic]

Quote:
guy had NO business owning a firearm in the first place
[QUOTE]I think that's an unfair knee-jerk reaction.[QUOTE]

My post was an opinion (like it said @ beginning of post!;)), and I guess I've always HAD this type of opinion. And a STRONG one it is, too. I had no one to teach me F.A. safety & had the "T.V. babysitter" scenario, too. However, I had the common sense that when I was old enough to even shoot, I knew that you can't call that bullet back once you press that button. And I knew that death is FOREVER. Lots of people will never see, kiss, speak to, have lunch with (etc) the deceased as long as they live here on Earth again!!!!! I'm not looking for an argument anyway, because there isn't one. If "he" would have had some common sense, he would have taken the right precautions before handing a potentially deadly weapon over to another human being. That's a responsible gun owner. Unfortunately, he was not one. I, of course, am a 2nd amendment advocate (duh! do 'ya think?), but I believe only responsible gun owners should own guns. (that make any sense?:p) If "he" had been an " irresponsible non-gun owner " (person who has NO business owning firearms in the first place), guess who would still be alive & breathing to enjoy another day, not to mention the rest of her life! Enough of my beliefs & convictions, I think the investigation just might prove to be interesting. Maybe not. Either way, another innocent life is gone forever. Devastating to all involved.

[Paladin]

According to police, Evan Lowe, 26, has recently purchased a bolt-action rifle and had gone shooting earlier in the day on Thursday. He had plans to have dinner with the victim and showed her the rifle when she arrived at his home in the 1200 block of Broadway.

Police said that when the victim handed the gun back to Lowe, he apparently grabbed it incorrectly, discharging the weapon and striking the woman in the head. Hmm. Guy went "shooting" (at a range?) earlier in the day and left w/o emptying his rifle. I ASSUME that if the bolt was open, he would have seen the cartridge when he eventually did close the bolt (prior to the "accident"). Or did he reload it after he got home and then "forgot" that he reloaded it before all this happened? Then, just by chance, after she hands him back the rifle he sweeps her head at the same time he pulls the trigger. Accident? Hmm.

[supersonic]

Like I said, the outcome of the investigation will be very interesting. Some of you guys are right: something "stinks" just a "bit." HOPEFULLY, the truth about what & how it went down will be discovered by .....CSI(?) Maybe not, though, judging on how it is already reported in the media as being an "involuntary" manslaughter. I'm no expert, but if it is ruled in this manner, is CSI even brought into the picture & utilized:confused:?

[supersonic]

WOW.........Someone claiming to be the cousin of the victim in this unfortunate event PM'd me!! Did anyone else get this? Claimed she wanted to post on this forum regarding the ordeal, but "wanted to know how", or something similar. I PM'd her immediately and told her to call me ASAP (gave both my #'s) so I could find out what her intentions are & to help + give advice. Unfortunately, she never contacted me (@ least not yet). Interesting, to say the least.:confused:

[RossRinSD]

When I show a gun to somebody, I check it.

Then I show them how to check it as I hand it to them.

Then they show me how to check it...

That way they don't feel akward around a new firearm, and I'm not wondering to myself if itz ever really truly unloaded.

Checking a bolt action, AK, AR, or pistol are all done very differently. If they are close enough friends that I show them my firearms, then they need to know how to be safe with them.

[USN CHIEF]

Very sad story and very avoidable too.. Sucks for the lil girl even more...

[MT1]

Unbelievably sad.

Negligent discharge or otherwise he deserves to be in jail for a very long time.

Hopefully the little girl has someone who can take care of her so she doesn't end up in the foster care system. She is the real victim now.

[hitman13]

When I show a gun to somebody, I check it.



when i read a 2 month old thread i dont bump it:chris:;)

[RossRinSD]

when i read a 2 month old thread i dont bump it:chris:;)

I guess that'll happen when you

:xeno:

Can't win one way or the other