Crazy: shoots neighbor over yard waste

[DaveInTexas]

all over a pile of leaves.

Man shoots neighbor over leaves in Randolph

'shooter was known to carry a gun with him at all times'

this is not helping.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[mr.stuart]

These are the kind of idiots that hurt the rest of us.

[jumpwing]

This happened in Massachusettes where you'll find some of the strictest gun control in the U.S.
If he met state requirements to own/carry then this will be spun to support a total ban.
If not, it will be spun to support stricter controls.

[retsupt99]

The article says he usually carried a gun, it does not say that he had a permit.
This 'maroooon' will not have to worry about 'leaves' for a few years.
(I hope he DIDN'T have a permit.)

[JoJoGunn]

The shooter looks like some paranoid nutcase to me. Probably didn't have a permit but believed he had the right to do so without and use the weapon to "protect" himself and family from evil. Looks like the voices in his head told him to shoot the guy with the leaves this time.

At the very least, let's hope he isn't one of "us".

[Janq]

This happened in Massachusettes where you'll find some of the strictest gun control in the U.S.
If he met state requirements to own/carry then this will be spun to support a total ban.
If not, it will be spun to support stricter controls.

Yup....Although thankfully shootings, lawful or unlawful, by _lawfully_ licensed persons as to carry are exceedingly rare here in MA.
The vast majority of the shootings are by unlawful unlicensed possesors & carriers as well as out right professional criminals with prior records.

In this case though the guy looks like any other 'gun' person I've ever seen at a public range or IDPA event. He does not stand out to me in appearance to look like some kook.

Further the neighbor who was shot states;

"Rota told police that Leonard always carried his gun, even when cutting the lawn or playing with the kids in the yard."

Now how in the world would this neighbor know that information?
Open carry in MA is not on the books as being unlawful BUT in practice it is very much not practiced.

So did this guy feel it necessary to inform his neighbor of his carry status and doing so while mowing he lawn and/or playign with his kids?
If so, why?

I myself carry everywhere all the time and do so when mowing and very often when horsing around with my own kids too...
A firearm, and/or OC/CS, and/or a knife too.

But a key difference though is that I have never had nor felt need to have such discussions with my neighbors about this fact, not once.
Nobody knows this and not even my wife or kids realize it's my EDC practice. So how would this neighbor know as much?
Further if the neighbor did know this and detected this guy was getting irrational about something stupidly minor like leaves on the ground (leaves here haven't even begun to fall yet anyway!)...Then why in the heck would he engage muchless continue to engage this guy knowing he is all the time armed and....<waves hands in the air> PARANOID?

None of this makes any rational sense to me.
But sadly mark one down for a state licensed gun carrier gone criminal.

Though as I recently heard on local radio as by an apple farmer being interviewed in my region. Contrary to the beliefs of the unaware; One rotten apple DOES NOT spoil the bunch.
The apple farmer stated that instead he reaches in and removes the bad apple which leaves the remainder being just fine.

This guy proved himself to be unfit and so he'll be removed, and his MA LTC is likely right now revoked. Good by 2A rights.
The rest of us rational and sensible people though should be left alone and are most likely to be okay fine.

- Janq

[Daddy Warcrimes]

We obviously don't have the full story here.

they got into an argument over the disposal of leaves near their Randolph homes.

The extent of that argument was not identified.

Example#1 "Hey Chris, would you mind not dumping your leaves in my yard?"
*bang*
Example#2 "Hey you SOB! I've had it with your leaves blowing on my lawn!"
*grabs the hedge sheers and approaches menacingly*
"Whoa there John, why don't you calm down and we can talk about this"
*continues to advance*
*bang*

I'm betting it was somewhere in between.

Rota told police that Leonard always carried his gun,

If my neighbor shot me, I might be inclined to tell the cops he drank the blood of unbaptized babes. 3rd hand reports aren't always reliable, especially when one might have a motive to exaggerate.

Until all the facts are presented, I'd say it looks bad but you never can tell.

[edit to add: Video is blocked, so I might not be getting as much of the story as the rest]

[jumpwing]

The shooter looks like some paranoid nutcase to me. Probably didn't have a permit but believed he had the right to do so without and use the weapon to "protect" himself and family from evil.

I think many of us argue that we have the right to carry without first getting permission from the government. And I *do* carry to protect myself and my family from evil.

The difference, I suppose, is that I don't see a leaf-dumping neighbor as "evil."

[JoJoGunn]

I think many of us argue that we have the right to carry without first getting permission from the government. And I *do* carry to protect myself and my family from evil.

The difference, I suppose, is that I don't see a leaf-dumping neighbor as "evil."

You'd be surprised at what some consider "evil".

Part of my response stated he looked "paranoid". I have a friend who suffers from this type of disorder and I understand. Anxiety over trivial things sends him off the chart. Leaf dumping on my yard by an unconcerned neighbor would hardly get a response from me, let alone a shooting. Yet, for those who suffer from anxiety disorders, that would be a festering sore upon humanity and needs to be stopped......NOW.

These people sometimes carry firearms and are willing to use them if they feel "threatend" by actions or events and do not represent the ones who go through all the firery hoops to get our concealed permits, yet sometimes, they do get permits. That can be one scary thing.
__________________

[ccw9mm]

A dispute over a "pile of leaves," and someone's willing to become a murderer over it. The putz even claims "not guilty" at his arraignment. It's amazing what some think they're justified in doing.

These are the kind of idiots that hurt the rest of us.

Yes. If the man "always carried" is gun, it's entirely likely he had been issued a CHL by the state of Mass. One more monument to stupidity, this guy.

Man shoots neighbor over leaves in Randolph


BOSTON -- A Randolph man pleaded not guilty to armed assault with intent to murder after police said he shot his neighbor over a leaf-dumping dispute.

Christopher Leonard was released Monday on $20,000 bail following his arraignment in Quincy District Court.

Police said the 38-year-old shot his neighbor John Rota in the stomach Friday when they got into an argument over the disposal of leaves near their Randolph homes.

Authorities said Rota was taken to Boston Medical Center and later released.

Rota told police that Leonard always carried his gun, even when cutting the lawn or playing with the kids in the yard.

Norfolk County District Attorney's Office said Leonard is moving out of the Randolph home.

It was unclear if Leonard had hired an attorney.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[dukalmighty]

I am on good terms with my neighbours,I have a riding lawnmower and when I mow my yard I asked them if It was ok to cut theirs too if it needed it since It wouldn't take anymore than a couple more minutes.they said sure go ahead,so I mow their yards if they need it when I mow mine.I would never get in an argument over leaves much less shoot anybody,I live in South Texas where leaves stay on trees year round anyways

[Freedom Doc]

The shooter here should have been an anti. You can hear them now with the "No one should have a gun, they'll just shoot over any triviality." As it is, he is helping the anti cause big time.