Man shot by gun purchased on Craigslist

[ImaShepardRU]

This will probably eliminate another way to advertise a firearm for sale. (I assume they allow it at present)
Never mind that the seller and or buyer may not have followed the existing laws about the sale of a firearm and should be held responsible.
Never mind the responsibilty for the crime is that of the attacker, not an agent of the sale nor the actual gun itself.
Baaaaa.......

MAN SHOT BY 'CRAIGSLIST' GUN TAKES AIM AT SITE - New York Post

Article text;

A Manhattan boutique owner is suing craigslist.com for $10 million, claiming he was shot with a gun purchased on the popular Web site.

Calvin Gibson, 50, who was shot six times by his schizophrenic neighbor in the East Village on July 24, believes the classified site is partially responsible.

"But for defendant's negligence in failing to supervise and monitor the content of the ads placed on its Internet service, [the shooter] could never have legally obtained the handgun," according to the lawsuit filed yesterday in Manhattan federal court.

The alleged gunman, Jesus Ortiz, who is being held without bail, "has a psychiatric history and a history of violent crime," Gibson claims in the suit, and could never have qualified for a gun permit.

"New York has an extremely stringent gun law," the suit says.

He claims Ortiz told the cops that he bought the gun on craigslist, and that the suspect's mother told others the same story.

Gibson was shot after he stopped at a deli on East Seventh Street near Avenue D. A teen, Mohammed Islam, 18, was also wounded in the random attack.

NYPD officials could not confirm the suit's claim. A craigslist spokesman could not be reached.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[XD in SC]

Craigslist does NOT allow guns on the website. Hasn't for a while.

[HotGuns]

If it's legal to do, then whats the gripe?

Sounds like another fishing expedition to me.

After the media hype goes away, the anti-guners get some fame and noteriety out of it and when the smoke clears and its all forgot all forgoten about,they'll find that it was all legal and nothing changes.

[morintp]

Craigslist does NOT allow guns on the website. Hasn't for a while.

+1

They don't want to get sued. I guess it didn't work out that well for them.

[ImaShepardRU]

Thanks for the clarification about Craigslist. They definitely should have caught it. However; I have no problem with a site not allowing it. It is their choice. It's...ahem....a free country.
I do have a problem with the assignment of responsibilty.
Same ol', same old.

[MattInFla]

If it's legal to do, then whats the gripe?

Sounds like another fishing expedition to me.

After the media hype goes away, the anti-guners get some fame and noteriety out of it and when the smoke clears and its all forgot all forgoten about,they'll find that it was all legal and nothing changes.

Makes perfect sense if you are the plaintiff or his attorney.

Psychiatric patients with criminal history = no money, essentially judgment proof

Huge internet business = deep pockets = attorney's dream target

Never mind that no rational person would consider Craig's List responsible for the actual shooting - it's easy enough to get a majority of idiots on a civil jury. And 40% (plus expenses) of a multi-million dollar award is pretty attractive.

Matt

[Siafu]

When are they going to roll out AL Sharpton and Jessee Jackson and get a million hoodlum march organized against Craigslist?

I tried to post a holster on craigslist and their filters wouldn't even allow the post to get published. They must have an algorithm that searches key words/phrases and kicks them out before they can even get posted.

[Hopyard]

Personally, I would never sell a gun in a private sale unless I really really knew the buyer.

I would not buy a gun in a private sale unless I was absolutely 100% certain there was no chance the gun was stolen.

Better to spend a few extra bucks and work with an FFL.

[ccw9mm]

Put a $10 ad in the LA Times ... next morning, own the LA Times when you get your butt shot by the criminal who purchased your firearm? Right.

Sell your shotgun in the parking lot of Wal-Mart, and the mall is "partially responsible?" Right.

Decide to answer an ad for a pistol that takes you to the back alley of Chinatown for the purchase, where you get shot ... and the city is responsible? Right.

Reality? The advertising medium had nothing to do with the psycho, murderous "neighbor" going off his meds.

It comes to this, IMO: buy/sell in risky situations, or buy/sell to people you don't know, or buy/sell at venues where you have no "security" or protections to speak of, then you get what you get. If it blows sideways, it's the doing of the two parties involved. It is what it is. And it is that simple.

[wpk]

If it blows sideways, it's the doing of the two parties involved. It is what it is. And it is that simple.

But then how will the lawyers get paid?!

[ccw9mm]

But then how will the lawyers get paid?!

I hear Chicago has a few ambulances to chase. Daley's seeing to that.

[JonInNY]

I don't understand how this could have even legally been done on New York, much less New York City! Not only is it almost impossible to get a firearm in NY City, a mentally disabled person would never be able to register it.

I think the defendant in this case is not admitting where he got the gun, and just said the first thing that came to mind.

Also, this is directly from Craigslist:

Prohibited...firearms, disguised, undetectable or switchblade knives, martial arts weapons, scopes, silencers, ammunition, ammunition magazines, BB guns, tear gas or stun guns.

[ccw9mm]

Also, this is directly from Craigslist:

Prohibited...firearms, disguised, undetectable or switchblade knives, martial arts weapons, scopes, silencers, ammunition, ammunition magazines, BB guns, tear gas or stun guns.

Irrespective of the advertising medium's policies, they caused nothing and contributed to nothing. They're operating a public bulletin board, much the same as the city has wooden telephone poles all across town. Doesn't really matter that they have the ability to monitor, charge for the service, or anything else, really. It's like claiming Craigslist responsible because the wooden clogs purchased there, last week, were used to kick the mailman in the shins.

Personal responsibility's a challenge, for some. The aggrieved party should re-think the dishonor he's bringing to himself, the courts and his community. (Of course, there's a snowball's chance of that.)

[BruceGibson]

Just for the record, the idiot in the story is no relation to me.

Jeez.

[packinnova]

Perhaps he should sue the the gun manufacturer?
Perhaps he should sue the ammo manufacturer?
Perhaps he should sue the government for not discovering the schizo nutjob faster?
Perhaps he should sue the mother of the schitzo nutjob for birthing him?
Perhaps he should sue the doctors for not aborting the schitzo nutjob?
Perhaps he should sue the discoverers of steel and metalurgy?
Perhaps he should sue all those involved in the industrial revolution?
Perhaps he should sue all the inventors of the world for not inventing a drug to fix the schitzo nutjob?
Perhaps he should sue God?