Sad situation...

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Quoheleth

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Found this while killing time on YAHOO this afternoon. Found a WiFi spot with A/C...soaking it up, as the house still powerless after IKE. Not sure if it should go here or elsewhere; mods move if necessary.

link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/dear_margo/...ard20080918;_ylt=Am6dGhefvpoB0ZEybBcaw5N2F78C

What To Do When Wild Bill Hickok Lives Next DoorThu Sep 18, 2:00 AM ET


DEAR MARGO: We have a neighbor who we feel is unhinged. We have concerns not only for our safety, but for that of our other neighbors. "Joe" loves guns, and there is nothing wrong with that, but his use of them verges on the fanatical. Joe likes to hold target practice in his backyard. My husband, who is certified as a firearms instructor, tried talking to him about the hazards not only to Joe's children but also to others. Joe's shooting target is only 20 yards from where his children play, and they are in the yard playing when he is shooting. Joe ignored us. My husband had our attorney send Joe and his wife a letter telling them they needed to stop, since some of the bullets were coming onto our property. He refused. In fact, the next time he went out to shoot, his wife pointed a video camera at our kitchen window, yelled obscenities and gave us the finger. Meanwhile, Joe is shooting away. And I don't mean standing-still shooting; I mean rolling on the ground and then shooting from a prone position. He dresses in black and carries his handgun around all the time -- and brags about it. Should we contact the authorities? My husband is thinking of trying to reason with Joe again, but I am terrified. What do you think?

--- SCARED OUT OF MY WITS IN NORTH CAROLINA

DEAR SCARED: I think Joe is a head case with firearms and fantasies. Tell your husband to forget reasoning with him; Joe is missing the wherewithal. The first thing I would do is find out if this nut job has a permit to carry firearms -- since that's what he's doing. Then bring the whole matter of Joe and his backyard firing range to the attention of the local police. If they are unresponsive, try the local DA or the attorney general's office. I asked a federal judge's law clerk for guidance, and here's a little, pardon the expression, ammunition for you: "North Carolina General Statute 14-34.1 prohibits the willful or wanton discharge of a firearm into occupied property. The little shooting range might also qualify as a nuisance/breach of the peace that the attorney general's office could file suit to abate under General Statute 19-2.1. There may, of course, be local ordinances that more specifically prohibit the reckless discharge of a firearm."


--- MARGO, RESTRICTIVELY


I have a couple thoughts:

One, a mall ninja makes a public appearance. Grab your camaras!!!

Two, the MN in question is a moron, shooting that close to his house & his neighbors house. While I respect the RTKABA, he's making a difficult situation for any gun enthusiast.

Three, the neighbor is correct in being concerned in his shooting close to their house. I don't have a problem with their seeking official help and not taking it up directly (although it might have gotten worked out, man-to-man, before getting the authorities involved. But now if the Law has gotten involved, the guy is probably going to push on just out of sheer orneriness). However, I think the family is overreacting ("I am terrified...") as a whole.

Four, the whole "license for a firearm" could be right or wrong - depends on where they live. But, chances are it's a uninformed line of defense - chalk up another one for Hollywood.

Just a couple thoughts...

Q
 
Of course there's not much substantiated info to go on, assuming the thing wasn't fabricated out of whole cloth it'd be kinda funny to discover that "Joe" was an airsoft fan.
 
Assuming they don't live in a very rural area, I cannot imagine that only one neighbour has heard &/or witnessed 'Joes' escapades. Surely there'd be enough noise to attract a good deal of attention with all that shooting going on!
 
If bullets came onto my property or in my general direction, return fire would be applied (flame on, I know its coming). I would definitely get authorities involved. As has been said, however, I do not know the full details. My response is likely what would happen in my neighborhood. I also know I would likely not be the only one returning fire.
Someone recently shot my next door neighbors dog, a 15 pound Dachshund (out of meanness, not defense), and threw him over my fence where he died. My neighbor and myself have had firearms discussions and are prepared to defend ourselves/property if the need arises. If the proper authorities are unavailable, that would constitute the need. Sorry to get off on a tangent.
 
I don't think you can shoot to defend property in Georgia, now that the Russians have been pushed out of Atlanta.;)


Joe's shooting target is only 20 yards from where his children play, and they are in the yard playing when he is shooting
That's just terrible! I really hope he's just using airsoft.
I think this guy needs to learn the rules of gun safety.
 
If this person or their property are catching strays from this guys shooting, why are they asking the Shell Answer Man? Catch the guy on film and call the Cops!
 
Dang...

If bullets came onto my property or in my general direction, return fire would be applied (flame on, I know its coming)

No flames here, I'm with you on that one. ;)

And to the OP, I agree that this fella is not helping himself or the cause by being a straight jerk to his neighbor.

In fact, the next time he went out to shoot, his wife pointed a video camera at our kitchen window, yelled obscenities and gave us the finger.

Seriously?:uhoh:That's just trying to start a fight.:scrutiny: Especially since the neighbor is a firearms instructor:banghead:
 
I agree with those who say there's some pieces missing from this puzzle. If someone were sending rounds onto my property unintentionally I would talk to them about it exactly once. If that resulted in an unsatisfactory result or repeat performance, the police get to deal with it.

It sounds like this guy is shooting fairly close to the neighbors' house. There are specific laws about discharging a firearm within a certain distance of a dwelling, so the guy is probably breaking at least that law.

The response was ill-informed. North Carolina requires a permit only for concealed carry. Open carry is legal.
 
Sounds like an airsofting mall ninja or complete fabrication to me.

If one neighbor is that close, there would be others and the cops would have been involved long ago.
 
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