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Washington man allegedly kills teen because he mistook an airsoft gun for a real firearm - ABC News (abcnews.go.com)

submitted 2 months ago by dogsnest@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

33 comments fedilink hide all child comments

If the teens had real guns, peace would have erupted, instead.

Waiting for Congress to ban airsoft and all fake guns.

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[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 61 points 2 months ago

OP is making jokes in their summary, but this is serious, a kids fucking dead.

And this isn't pranking and getting consequences. They were walking into a store to return one, and some fucking asshat attacked and killed one of them

Myers saw three teens approach the Big 5 Sporting Goods store with what he thought were handguns and believed they were going to rob the store, according to the affidavit. He further stated that he felt he did not have time to call 911 and that he "had a duty to act to stop the individuals from hurting someone innocent, and to protect his son," per the court filing.

Myers, who was armed with a registered semiautomatic pistol, told police he approached the teens with his gun out and told them to put their hands in the air, but no one complied, the police affidavit said. He then fired multiple rounds at the victim because he thought the teen was reaching into the waistband of his pants for what Myers believed was a gun and that the teen "was going to kill him," according to the filing.

[-] AlternatePersonMan@lemmy.world 59 points 2 months ago

So, this guy had a gun on him, and saw someone else with a gun... And thought person with a gun, danger!?

What an asshole.

[-] SeaJ@lemm.ee 14 points 2 months ago

I wonder why the guy thought the kid was going to rob the place? Oh...he was brown.

[-] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

Also, said person was going into the gun store with a gun 🤡

[-] unmagical@lemmy.ml 44 points 2 months ago

The account really reads like he lept to using his gun as a first resort instead of the last. When all you have is a hammer...

Also, in a country filled with those who pride themselves on the right to own guns and on their actual ownership of guns I'm still surprised that people view other people having guns as a justification to kill them.

Police kill someone in a routine traffic stop? It's okay, he had a gun.

Random citizen kills another random citizen? It's okay, he had a gun.

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 39 points 2 months ago

The Rambo fantasy kills another innocent kid.

And also, very likely, traumatized multiple others who just witnessed a couple of teenagers get shot and killed.

[-] macarthur_park@lemmy.world 24 points 2 months ago

he approached the teens with his gun out and told them to put their hands in the air, but no one complied

Well yeah, he’s not a cop. He’s a random lunatic with a gun.

[-] callouscomic@lemm.ee 4 points 2 months ago

I mean, cops also seem to just be random lunatics with a gun, and handed a badge.

[-] Ithral@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 months ago

The most protected gang in the US

[-] MerrySkeptic@sh.itjust.works 47 points 2 months ago

A kid with his whole life in front of him is dead because some wannabe cop decided it was his duty to guard the parking lot that nobody asked him to guard.

And the icing on the cake: he did this while his own son was in martial arts class. Now this asshat is likely going to prison (there's witnesses and video surveillance and he's not a cop so he will get some kind of prison time) and his own son is going to miss out on having his dad in his life.

This country has a fucking problem. We sold our soul to capitalism and this is what happens. There's no hope for meaningful legislation. Any systemic reform that might hurt an industry with enough money has no hope.

But hey, thoughts and prayers, and all that bullshit

[-] MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world 27 points 2 months ago

and his own son is going to miss out on having his dad in his life.

Maybe in this case, it's for the best.

[-] MagicShel@programming.dev 33 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

If the man had an airsoft gun, that would've also been fine.

[-] PancakeTrebuchet@lemmy.world 28 points 2 months ago

I've stopped carrying while out in public entirely, and this is one of the reasons.

I also don't want to be mistaken for a bad guy and shot by a LEO or another civilian who's carrying.

[-] dogsnest@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

Heard.

[-] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 19 points 2 months ago

They'll ban Airsoft guns for looking too realistic. Just watch.

[-] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 23 points 2 months ago

They'll have to ban cell phones too, because people have been shot for holding cell phones that "looked like a gun".

[-] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago

Exactly. Can't have those either.

[-] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 2 months ago

They've been trying for as long as they've been around. As long as they have an orange tip they're considered "safe" (which is about as foolproof as safeguarding a vault with a "keep out" sign)

[-] meco03211@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

Even worse there are people painting real guns with orange tips or too look like nerf guns.

[-] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The orange tip thing isn't even a requirement for airsoft guns

(section 1150.1.b )

(this country is broken)

[-] DickFiasco@lemm.ee 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Should probably ban acorns too, because they sound too much like real guns. Or so I hear.

[-] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago

That's what I heard too.

[+] over_clox@lemmy.world -24 points 2 months ago

Hey, in all fairness, I think Super Soaker water guns should get a free pass.

Aside from that, yeah it wouldn't be a bad idea if they banned all those toy guns, especially the ones designed to resemble real guns.

[-] HuntressHimbo@lemm.ee 54 points 2 months ago

Personally I'd rather they banned the real ones and left the toys

[-] Gonkulator@lemm.ee -4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Im a bit of a radical but hear me out. What if instead of having toy guns we had kids "play" at planting a community garden, mowing lawns for the elderly and handicapped, and picking up litter at the local park? Nah, teaching children guns are toys is the obvious way to go. Or ya know, fuck guns, real or fake.

[-] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago

Do you honestly think that kids need a molded plastic or stamped metal toy gun to "play with guns"? Have you never seen kids pick up a "Y" shaped stick off the ground and say "bang bang!" or "zap zap!" pretending its a gun (or laser gun)?

[-] HuntressHimbo@lemm.ee 8 points 2 months ago

I.M.O. an important aspect of play is its self-directed. If they prefer that, absolutely, but I would rather let them choose and try to provide safe ways for them to explore. If they choose gardening that would be wonderful, if they choose to play with nerf guns or airsoft guns we should try and provide safety and caution to insulate them from being injured, but otherwise let them play

[-] iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 months ago

To be honest I'm not convinced this is an issue. I admit whole heartedly that my own personally experience is not data, but anecdotally I grew up playing with lots of guns and playing violent make believe, hell I even played GTA3 at a definitely not appropriate age, but I grew up to be a pacifist.

[-] NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth 5 points 2 months ago

So work instead of play?

[-] son_named_bort@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

That sounds like slavery with extra steps.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world -5 points 2 months ago

Fair enough, good point.

That's still not gonna get rid of all the guns already out in the wild though.

[-] thefartographer@lemm.ee 2 points 2 months ago

guns... out in the wild

Nature is healing!

this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2024

148 points (93.0% liked)

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