Bad: License holder opens up on SUV of teens in FL

[BigStick]

I couldn't tell from what I've read, did the Durango with the teenagers in it drive off, or did the police show up at the gas station and they were still there? To me, that would make a big difference wether I thought that they could have ditched any weapons or not.

All around, it just looks bad for this guy though. I'm not sure if his lawyer going around spouting off about how he is totally into guns and a gun collecter, etc. will help him look responsible and educated, or more likely the press will make him out to be a "gun nut" who was crazy and has a massive arsenal and was just looking for an excuse to shoot someone.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Lish]

You may not have said "I'd do the same thing" but you made it clear you can relate and certainly made it sound like this guy involved shouldn't be criticized so heavily.

Who uses a pay phone to call in anything anymore? No cell while you're driving away? No phone in the hotel room? HE JUST SHOT SOMEBODY! Whether he "wants" to be home or not - he doesn't have that option now. Home for him was hours away! Even if completely totally 100% self defense no grey area (which in THIS instance I cannot wrap my brain around) you act like a grown up and you report it!!! You don't get to go home to another town and pretend like it never happened.

I'll have to reread the story again, I'm curious now the location of the gas station. There seem to be assumptions being made that it was in the ghetto...jollyman are you from that area? Know it well?

[Ogien]

There would be times when you do what you have to do in spite of what the average person thinks about it. But yeah there's an implication there. I see your point. OK. For instance, with the 911 calling stuff. If I were involved in a shooting of just about any kind at a gas station where I thought I was in a really bad neighborhood, and I had just wacked a typical member of that bad neighborhood for good reasons, there's no way I'd stand around making calls at a pay phone leaving my butt hanging out there waiting for police to come. No way at all. I'd drive away and probably report it from some where else. Preferably at home. Most especially if I had someone else with me who's safety I'm responsible for, like the woman with the guy. It's not just the hoods in the area I'd be concerned about, but overreacting cops who might get trigger happy on me. If it's off the scene, and later on, maybe they're not so hardboiled about it. I suppose since at that point it's not an emergency you might even use a different police number. If that looks worse to some people then I only care so much about that. You have to be practical for yourself. Well that's my thinking anyway.

Great. So how long do we have to wait before you give law abiding gun owners a bad name and bring the spotlight of the media on gun ownership. You sound exactly like the type that is just itching to make things more difficult for the rest of us by acting a fool and allowing your bigotry to get the best of you by shooting someone.

[blitzburgh]

I couldn't tell from what I've read, did the Durango with the teenagers in it drive off, or did the police show up at the gas station and they were still there? To me, that would make a big difference wether I thought that they could have ditched any weapons or not.

All around, it just looks bad for this guy though. I'm not sure if his lawyer going around spouting off about how he is totally into guns and a gun collecter, etc. will help him look responsible and educated, or more likely the press will make him out to be a "gun nut" who was crazy and has a massive arsenal and was just looking for an excuse to shoot someone.

I agree. I too was wondering about that (regarding the possibility of a weapon being ditched). If I was him, I'd definitely be firing that attorney and seeking more competent representation elsewhere. I was really shocked at how much his attorney was talking.. ya'know, for someone who tells you to shut up.

[Jollymann]

You may not have said "I'd do the same thing" but you made it clear you can relate and certainly made it sound like this guy involved shouldn't be criticized so heavily.

Who uses a pay phone to call in anything anymore? No cell while you're driving away? No phone in the hotel room? HE JUST SHOT SOMEBODY! Whether he "wants" to be home or not - he doesn't have that option now. Home for him was hours away! Even if completely totally 100% self defense no grey area (which in THIS instance I cannot wrap my brain around) you act like a grown up and you report it!!! You don't get to go home to another town and pretend like it never happened.

I'll have to reread the story again, I'm curious now the location of the gas station. There seem to be assumptions being made that it was in the ghetto...jollyman are you from that area? Know it well?

Truth be told Lish, I don't carry a cell phone. I really really hate them. I use pay phones. When I have to. That's what they're there for. So I'm thinking about circumstances where I'm standing there at the gas station on a pay phone, where they're almost always at. Just like a supermarket. In fact even if you have a cell phone with you all the time, it might not be working. Or it might be misplaced. Whatever. You might have to use a pay phone to call.

The fact of the matter is, I intended to illustrate the situation where yeah, I could relate some, and also where I'm trying to get into his head somewhat coupled with the circumstances. I think that's important considering how one sided all this was going. It's too easy to jump in, and be the 50th person to condem this man. You might say "standing in someone's shoes". You might even say "devil's advocating" to an extent. That's what I was tying to do.

For the record, I feel in the exact same situation, I would of had more restraint. That I wouldn't of fired there. But then again, I can't tell you for a fact that he didn't see a gun in someone's hand. His lawyer lady feels he did. That's what he's saying. I was pointing out that if I saw a gun there, in his hand (the driver's or whoever was making the threats), after the threats, I would of shot him.

As for the place being in the ghetto, no I don't know that. But I was thinking along those lines. If it's Florida, then you'd know better than me. What would you say. Ghetto or not?

[Lish]

One of my biggest things I can't get past is not calling it in. Ok, not everyone carries a cell...pay phones in this day and age can be hard to find or unsafe. I cannot get past he went to his hotel, from accounts I've read, slept the night there...saw a report of the shooting on TV and then drove home - 3 hours away. Here in FL we are dealing with the backlash of the Sanford shooting - a task force JUST wrapped up after I don't even know how many months - many of us legal, responsible gun owners are worried about the future of SYG and the media and anti gun crowd jump all over anything, especially now. EVEN IF it was a justified shoot, which I do not at this time agree with, when you leave the jurisdiction after a good nights sleep and never report it...that's bad bad bad. Bad for the shooter and bad for all gun owners in this state.

The shooting took place at a Gate station at the corner of Southside and Baymeadows. Now I will preface this with I moved from the area several years ago... But that Gate station was very close to where my husband worked when we lived there. Been there many times, I would not consider that area a ghetto.

[ccw9mm]

One of my biggest things I can't get past is not calling it in. Ok, not everyone carries a cell...pay phones in this day and age can be hard to find or unsafe. I cannot get past he went to his hotel, from accounts I've read, slept the night there...saw a report of the shooting on TV and then drove home - 3 hours away.

Agreed.

In his account of his action (leaving), he explained that he was fearful of possible gang affiliation/retribution. Which is fine, but that hardly explains failure to contact police once he was in a safer/secure location. The hotel should have been plenty enough for that, whatever else is true about the scenario.

[mprp]

I don't think that there's anyone here, well maybe, that wouldn't agree that the guy did some things that scream "WRONG" but if you are feeling like this, easily excited or had a bit too much coffee that morning, it may be a good idea to remain at home. Time To Stay Home

Just sayin'

[goldshellback]

The shooting took place at a Gate station at the corner of Southside and Baymeadows. Now I will preface this with I moved from the area several years ago... But that Gate station was very close to where my husband worked when we lived there. Been there many times, I would not consider that area a ghetto.

I've been to that gas station...... I know where it is. The 'hood' it is not.

[02R1]

he was wrong and i sure hope that will teach wannabe kids like that a lesson..

[goldshellback]

Couple of updates:

Family remembers Jordan Davis in Georgia | News - Home

Michael Dunn adds prominent defense attorney | News - Home


This is going to turn into a huge anti-SYG and Brady Bunch hug fest me thinks. This case is also beginning to unfold like a John Grisham novel.
Most of the comments in both articles support the SYG law and condem the shooter for his actions.

[tomhuskey]

I'm not sure he had a permit. If his firearm was in the glovebox unloaded, that seem like he just had it for 'protection', not necessarily for CC. That's how you legally can have one in the vehicle here in TN if you don't have a permit. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Either way this bonehead is going to help screw things up for everybody that carries.

[Anubis]

Even if neither party was armed or threatening, complaining to an idiot about his noise can lead to nothing good. Terminate the fuel transaction ASAP and get out of there.

[blitzburgh]

Even if neither party was armed or threatening, complaining to an idiot about his noise can lead to nothing good. Terminate the fuel transaction ASAP and get out of there.

Agreed. Either quit fueling and leave if it's so unbearable or deal with it and be gone. It doesn't really take long to fill up a car.

IMO, it almost seems like this guy was itching for a confrontation.

[Toorop]

In Todays society a car full of Teens gets asked to turn down there music which was probably Hip Hop laced with numerous profanities etc.and from the mentality I've witnessed in the Country there is no doubt in my mind they felt"Disrespected" and started throwing around threats at the WHITE man.
I would have put some cover between me and the threat as I called 911 to report that I was being verbally threatened,anyone of the little darlings decide to step out of the vehicle to escalate,then that's another story

What the hell are you talking about? What does the type of music have to do with it and what does the fact that the man was white have to do with it? Even if they were listening to Johnny Cash, who sings songs about murder and who is a confirmed drug abuser as well as smuggler, it doesn't matter what they did. This man killed some kids. Why are you trying to justify it? Is it because they were black? I mean you assume that they threatened him because he was white, I would make the assumption that he murdered them because they were black.