Poll: Teen Shot dead after attempting to mug man

[Snotnarok]

I like the reporter's last statement about "how do you shoot someone 8 times in self defense"

Easy, the same reason he was released without charge. Because he was SCARED FOR HIS LIFE and fired fast incase he you know missed.

Want to know why anyone who sides with the mugger is wrong? Because had he not decided to attack someone without reason he wouldn't have gotten shot. End of story, there's no arguing that. Was the gun needed? Yes he was under attack by two people, I think you'd use your gun too.

Is it sad sure but all he had to do was not attack someone and it'd have never happened.

 

[Layzor]

I didn't get shot today. I didn't try to mug anyone either. Coincidence?

 

[chadachada123]

There's no reason to think that, after having a gun pulled, the would-be mugger wouldn't try and take said gun given the very small distance between the parties, especially if the mugger was on some sort of drug. Given that the man was just punched in the head randomly, it wouldn't be a stretch to believe the kid(s) were hopped up on something and thus wouldn't respond to a simple threat.

Sorry. I just don't buy it for a second. I think this man could have acted in a way that would of left this kid alive. Instead he panicked and killed someone and he will most likely see some gaol time for it.

By the way, welcome to the Escapist!

I hope I quoted that right...

Thank you for the welcome =) Aside from not knowing what "gaol" means except "jail," the featured article does say that he was not charged with anything.

I'm good enough that I can drop it here, we both obviously disagree, but I'm not gonna push it if you don't wish to "debate" (argue).

I will argue with everyone else that disagrees, though. I'm just like that, hah.

 

[Karlaxx]

If the kid didn't think that this is America and people can have guns, or decided to take the risk anyway, the jogger was well within his rights to fire. Unfortunate the kid died, of course, but that's how it goes.

 

[cheese_wizington]

With his lip cut and suffering blurred vision he said he pulled out a handgun that was fitted with a laser sight and fired eight times

What the fuck? Eight times? It'll take one shot to incapacitate the mother fucker and he shot EIGHT TIMES? How the hell did this guy get a carriers license?

Apart from that, ugly story.

 

[skywalkerlion]

I don't think stealing should equal death, but I probably wouldn't hesitate to shoot either if my life was endangered. So yeah, he was right.

 

[StoryMode]

I was the 666th person to say "Yes" /note

 

[DuctTapeJedi]

snip

Really, this whole argument could be solved by just pushing the use of tasers as a civilian method of self defense.

snip

I wasn't claiming to know everything about guns, ever. I was just pointing out that you were assuming the ignorance of a person you were debating and reducing them to a stereotype.

My point stands. People whose first reaction, when confronted with danger, is to shoot eight times should buy tasers instead.

 

[EvanJO]

This actually happened in the neighborhood ~5 minutes from my own. Don't mug people and you won't get shot. Hollow points in a .45 handgun is a serious force to be reckoned with, and one shot in center mass would have killed the kid no matter what, so firing 8 times might seem excessive but hey, none of us were in that scenario so none of us know what was going through Baker's head.

 

[StoryMode]

With his lip cut and suffering blurred vision he said he pulled out a handgun that was fitted with a laser sight and fired eight times

What the fuck? Eight times? It'll take one shot to incapacitate the mother fucker and he shot EIGHT TIMES? How the hell did this guy get a carriers license?

Apart from that, ugly story.

8 Times sounds reasonable for someone who is frightened. He believed the person had a weapon. One shot might not have been enough to stop someone from pulling out their weapon and doing damage. As well only four shots hit. If I couldn't see well I would have shot quite a few times too.

 

[Vault boy Eddie]

One less miscreant in the world.

 

[thedeathscythe]

There's no reason to think that, after having a gun pulled, the would-be mugger wouldn't try and take said gun given the very small distance between the parties, especially if the mugger was on some sort of drug. Given that the man was just punched in the head randomly, it wouldn't be a stretch to believe the kid(s) were hopped up on something and thus wouldn't respond to a simple threat.

Sorry. I just don't buy it for a second. I think this man could have acted in a way that would of left this kid alive. Instead he panicked and killed someone and he will most likely see some gaol time for it.

By the way, welcome to the Escapist!

I hope I quoted that right...

Thank you for the welcome =) Aside from not knowing what "gaol" means except "jail," the featured article does say that he was not charged with anything.

I'm good enough that I can drop it here, we both obviously disagree, but I'm not gonna push it if you don't wish to "debate" (argue).

I will argue with everyone else that disagrees, though. I'm just like that, hah.

I saw that too, I thought they maybe misspelled jail but the letters are so far apart I guess it was just spelt phonetically. I debate with people up until the point that they bastardize the english language.

OT: Also want to say that for anyone saying they wouldn't pull their gun out/shoot the teen (18 is considered an adult where I'm from, for drinking, cigarettes, gambling and stuff, so to me he's an adult), just picture you're in Baker's situation. You get punched in the face for no reason that you know of, you're now bleeding and dizzy, you hear something about smashing your head in, and there's two kids in front of you. Maybe it's just my but I wouldn't just fork over to my cash to some punks who didn't even ask for my money yet.

Typically muggings start with a "give us your money or this will get messy," and if you cooperate, they bail and then you call the cops. This started with violence, and from there I would only guess it would continue with violence. If I was in his situation, I would immediately start fighting back. If I was simply asked for my money, without being punched in the face, I would probably reveal my gun and tell them to leave, watching them both the entire time. If they so much as made a move, I would not hesitate to fire at them.

 

[BoogieManFL]

I see that sort of thing on the news here from time to time, I also live in Florida.

Yes, it's tragic that someone died. However, any time you violate the law robbing/assaulting someone, or otherwise become the bane of society - in my eyes you forfeit your own rights to be protected by the law. He robbed the wrong guy and paid the price.

I am so tired of seeing people cry about how their criminal child got killed being a criminal. I saw it on the news here not long ago, some kid got shot and killed by a cop because he pulled a gun on the cop. Then his mother has the gall to ***** on the new about it. I'm sorry someone had to die, I really am.. But like I said - they brought it on themselves.

On a side note I've heard people here in Florida say if someone attacks you or breaks into your home - shoot to kill and not to wound. If they live they'll try to sue you. Harsh but I don't think criminals deserve compassion.

 

[Autohellion]

He wasright to shoot a warning shot or even with intention to injure but he wasn't right to shoot to kill. The mugger was 18 he probably would have run the moment Baker pulled his gun out. That said the bullets were hollow point and the man did stay with the dying mugger (although that may have been so that he didn't try to run before the police arrived) so it may be he intended to scare or merely injure the victim or that he only fired 8 shots in the confusion.

There is no "shooting to injure". It's a myth.

Any type of gunshot wound can and will kill, and you have to assume that the shooting will kill the person. People survive gunshot wounds all the time, but people also die of getting hit in the hand all the time.

If you shoot at all, you're shooting to drop and potentially kill the person.

Well what about firing a warning shot to scare someone of? Is THAT shooting to kill.

Huh... So lets say he did shoot a warning shot....Where would it go? If he shoots up all that goes up comes down potentially hitting someone innocent, lets say he shoots at the ground it rebounds and hits someones house or someone walking farther down the street. To preserve all innocents in this situation the only option was to shoot the one guilty party. Please think before you post.

Forgive me for not being an expert on guns and propulsion physics. Also a falling gun bullet shot upwards hardly sounds like a serious threat to your health.

Actually at the velocity it comes down with it can be lethal

 

[maddawg IAJI]

...The guy was being mugged. His assailants were physically attacking him and he had a permit to carry the weapon. Baker was in the right from my perspective. The only problem I see is that he shot the teenager 4 times, but that's about it.

It had been me, I would have emptied the magazine. I don't shoot once and then check to make sure it hit before firing again.

He apparently did empty the clip, but only managed to hit 4 of the 8 shots. Like I said earlier, I figure we would all do the same.

 

[Krion_Vark]

Yes the guy trying defend himself is the bad guy here. *face palm*

If he lived in Massachusetts the gunman would be in jail right now because our self defense law is such bullshit. If you can get away you don't have the right to defend yourself.